Senior staff members of the Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management leading disaster operations in the North have been urged to maintain the current operation tempo as “we are not out of the woods yet”.
While addressing staff members at a meeting with Commissioner Northern Division, Uraia Rainima, Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management Inia Seruiratu advised the Ministry’s officials that we were still a few weeks away from the end of the cyclone season and it was vital that we continued with what was currently being practiced.
“We are just coming out of the end of our 20-days extension but we are not out of the season so we must keep this momentum,” Mr Seruiratu said.
Mr Seruiratu also urged the North team to continue with clean-up activities conducted by various Government teams to help eradicate the issue of Leptospirosis, Typhoid, Diarrhoea and Dengue Fever (LTDD) post disasters and also increase awareness on the issue especially with farmers.
He also reiterated the need for a consistent messaging for Fijians to invest in their homes to ensure their protection from future disasters.
“This should be the focus of development. Because we have the DRR policy in place now, we must tell everyone to focus on housing. Once the family is safe, that is important because that is our biggest investment,” he said.
Mr Seruiratu is currently touring the Northern Division with Permanent Secretary RMDDM, David Kolitagane to visit Northern Division teams based at emergency operation centres and officials manning the bulk stores to look at progress of our operation and also acknowledge the sacrifices and commitment of these officers as we will mark the end of the 20-day extension of the Declaration for a State of Natural Disaster for the North on Saturday.
Mr Seruiratu and his team visited teams based at Lekutu, Nabouwalu and Kubulau and Cakaudrove EOC on Thursday and earlier yesterday.
