DESPITE being faced with severe hardship in the aftermath of the January and March floods, people in the Western Division are slowly getting back on their feet.
Commissioner Western Commander Joeli Cawaki said the manner in which people in the division were re-building their lives was testimony of their strength and character.
He said a lot of hard lessons were learnt that would go a long way in Western Division people preparing and surviving disasters, natural or otherwise, in the future.
"While assistance is still an ongoing process, we have noted that people are getting back on their feet. It is very encouraging to see that the experience has increased the resilience of the people.
"People now understand better the value of life and they also understand that disasters are a part of life and will be better prepared for it the next time it happens," he said.
Cdr Cawaki said aid and assistance would continue for the worst affected until such time as their situations improved.
At the height of the March and April deluge and in the aftermath of the devastating floods, close to 15,000 people were reported to have sought shelter in over 170 evacuation centres across the division.