Update: Overview of Disaster Relief and Rebuilding Efforts in Samoa
By Tupuola Terry Tavita in Apia
PM Responds to ‘bitter’ Palusalue
Government yesterday responded to recent comments by MP Palusalue Faapo II that tsunami recovery work favour the constituency of the Prime Minister and that of Agricultural Minister Taua Kitiona Seuala.
“Such claims can only come from a person with a bitter heart,” said Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi. “I really don’t need to answer that. Go to the villages and find out for yourself. There is parity in the recovery work in all of the affected villages.
“All Palusalue wants is for aid from overseas to those affected by the tsunami to stop.” Palusalue’s claims were echoed this week by Porirua Deputy Mayor Litea Ah Hoi who said she “saw infrastructure being repaired in the villages of government ministers ahead of other areas.”
Ms Ah Hoi was in Samoa three weeks ago and her claims bewilder the Prime Minister. “How can that be so when government housing aid has yet to start?” He asked.
“If people are rebuilding their homes then most probably they are paying for it themselves or their families from overseas are helping them rebuild.” The Prime Minister said that getting people settled in at all affected areas is government’s priority at the moment.
Carpenters from Habitat New Zealand arrived this week and have immediately started assembling prefab houses under government’s and its reconstruction partners’ (WST)$18,000-per-family housing aid. Some 600 houses will be built in the coming months.
Editor’s Note: Release from Habitat for Humanity New Zealand states that the Samoan Government has given them the green light to build 375 houses, not 600 houses, as stated in this update. This is on the basis that the final number of houses needing rebuilding has been fine tuned to 425, of which other NGOs are funding about 100 houses, leaving the Samoan Government to fund the remaining 325 houses.The first team from HFH are in Lepa to build toilets and showers in the local church hall that will be used as the accomodation area for future building teams. Builders are encouraged to get their application forms into Habitat.
“There will be equal distribution of these prefab houses to all affected villages as we go along.” And it’s not just Aleipata and Falealili who have been getting aid, the Prime Minister said. So did Siumu, Safata, Manono and parts of Savaii that were all affected by the tsunami.
“In fact, according to this report (holds up report), 83 families in eight villages at Palusalue’s constituency of Safata have been getting regular tsunami aid from government.”
HOUSES
Asked if government would build houses on the coast, Works minister Tuisugaletaua said that that was not government’s preference.
‘We’ve already relayed to the affected villages that we prefer to build the houses in the hills away from the sea. And most have agreed. It’s safer up there.
Like the Prime Minister, Tuisugaletaua said that he “does not know where Palusalue comes up with these stories.”
“If anything, he (Palusalue0 should be thanking us and the hundreds of people working on the tsunami recovery.”
“But its politics and we have more pressing matters to attend to at the moment than playing those silly little political games.”
Tuisugaletaua said that work has begun on developing road infrastructure, electrification and water reticulation at the Aleipata and Falealili uplands where most people have moved to.
“It’s a huge undertaking and we’re talking here not in tens of thousands but tens of millions of tala in costs.”
LE LOTO LAKE
A major concern was finding a water source to the hills.
“Because obviously it is very expensive to pump water to the uplands. In some areas it’s a very steep climb.
But a solution, the minister said, has been found after an aerial survey of the area a fortnight ago.
“We identified Le Loto Lake – one of several small lakes in the uplands of Saleapaga and Lepa – as the best to source water from.”
“According to initial surveys by our engineers, there’s enough water there to sustainably provide running water for up to 6000 households. That’s more than enough water for the Aleipata area.
“Two engineers from New Zealand will arrive this Thursday to draw up plans with work to commence immediately.”
One of the major problems facing aid delivery to the hills, he said, is the condition of roads.
“These are plantation dirt tracks that have severely eroded due to heavy traffic and the rains. It’s getting very hard for the water trucks to get up there.”
Works ministry, he said, are now sending asphalt loads to improve these dirt tracks.
“We need to improve those roads especially when we start distributing the prefab houses to the hills.”
Major road construction, he said, are already in the pipeline for the now-established hill communities.
SATURDAY AID
The Prime Minister said that food aid from overseas was now on the decline.
“Which is to be expected as its now five weeks since the tsunami struck.”
While houses were swept away, he said, farms and plantations were largely unaffected.
“So there is no reason why people should go hungry. Those who have plantations need not worry about food supply. Those without, well, time to get moving.”
Food assistance, he said, will now only be distributed at affected villages on Saturdays.
“So villages are asked to assemble at their distribution points on Saturdays to get their food supplies.”
He adds;
“Besides, it’s also time for public servants who have been on the recovery frontline for a marathon five weeks to get some rest and do other government work.”
The National Disaster Council in its meeting late yesterday , chaired by the Prime Minister, agreed to extend food distribution to the affected areas by another 30 days.
Word Bank/ADB
Opening the joint World Bank-Asian Development Bank liaison off ice, sixth floor of the Central Bank building Monday morning, World Bank managing director Juan Jose DeBoub described Samoa’s economic reforms since 1990 as ‘very impressive’.
He went on to announce an increase of the Bank’s contribution to Samoa from US$18 million to US$40 million.
He said the recent tsunami devastation would’ve broken the back of any country the size of Samoa, but being the first country to gain independence in the region since 1962 came ‘experience and maturity’ to handle such crisis.
Asian Development Bank provided regional director Mr Keith Leonard expressed the Bank’s sympathies to the loss of lives and destruction following the tsunami.
The ADB provided US$1 million in emergency aid to Samoa immediately after the crisis and has pledged to provide US$26 million in loans.
Mr Leonard and Mr DeBoub reaffirmed the two institutions continued support for Samoa.
Thanking Samoa’s two developing partners, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi welcomed the opening of the liaison office in Apia.
“It’s been a long time coming. Samoa put in a bid for the World Bank regional office back in 1986 but missed out to Vanuatu. Now we not only have the World Bank here but also the ADB. Furthermore, a Samoan will be in charge of the office.”
The liason office will be headed by former Treasury ACEO Maeva Betham-Vaai, who recently served a stint at the ADB office in Manila.
The Prime Minister said one of the benefits of having the joint ADB-World Bank office in Samoa is that it would allow closer cooperation between government and these two developing partners.
According to Works minister Tuisugaletaua Sofara Aveau, in the past government would put in a lot of paperwork only for an application for funds to be declined.
“But now that the two institutions have an office here we can work with, we will have a definitive idea of what is required from our part to access those funds. We’re all very happy in the achievement of this milestone.”
Mr DeBoub and Mr Leonard and their entourages toured the affected regions in Falealili and Aleipata yesterday accompanied by government officials.
Source: Government of Samoa
Editor’s Note: If you are an organisation working in disaster relief or rebuilding homes devastated by the tsunami in American Samoa, please email us at reply@pacificeyewitness.org
