THE United Nations Development Programme will give more than $5million to Fiji in the next five years.
The New York-based UNDP deputy assistant administrator and deputy regional director for Asia and the Pacific, Nicholas Rosellini, confirmed this to this newspaper, saying more funding had been earmarked for Fiji.
"We are aiming to spend more than $5million in the next five years mainly to improve the livelihoods of the less fortunate here in Fiji," said Mr Rosellini.
"The money will be used for poverty alleviation, gender empowerment, environmental sustainability and disaster risk reduction management.
"One of the main areas we are targeting is the cash for work program — this is mainly targeted at assisting cyclone — and flood-affected residents to recover from their losses and rebuild their lives.
"The program also resulted in women's empowerment by enabling them to supplement household incomes, bringing nutritious food home and developing their skills for better livelihood activities."
Mr Rosellini said thousands of women had benefitted from this program through financial assistance and farming tool donations. Sofiya Bi of Vuniyasi, one of 865 participants in the cash for work program in Nadi, said that in addition to recovering from the floods, the program also allowed the community to work together.
"A big achievement for us was coming together as a group, learning about different cultures and working with strength, sensitivity and sincerity which made us feel empowered," she said. The program was implemented in Nadi and Rakiraki.