NZ Red Cross general manager, emergency management and international, Sean Stewart, said that despite the organisation not establishing a new financial appeal to support those impacted by recent severe weather, teams have been working remotely since June 26.
“New Zealand Red Cross continues to assist the people of Wairoa as they are affected once again by severe weather,” Stewart told Hawke’s Bay Today.
“We moved quickly as the impact became clear on June 26 to support the response and to offer supplies where we could, working alongside local authorities and other community groups.”
The agency previously came under intense public scrutiny during Cyclone Gabrielle, with two of the key criticisms being the lack of visible support (silt shovelling) and the speed of the spending.
Red Cross secretary general Sarah Stuart-Black said earlier this year that the organisation was looking at how to increase the number of people trained and ready to help in an emergency and communicate its work more clearly.
“The scale of the emergency showed we really needed more people to provide that support,” she said of Cyclone Gabrielle.
Stewart said while the agency had no permanent presence in Wairoa, its wider Hawke’s Bay team were able to deploy quickly to help when the recent flooding hit.
“Disaster Welfare and Support Team members from around the North Island have been working in small teams either locally or remotely since June 26.”
He said teams had been helping in the Emergency Operations Centre, completing needs assessments, and providing psychosocial first aid services out in the community.
Disaster welfare support team leader Krystal Boyes from Whanganui (left) and Nick Webb, disaster welfare support team leader from Tauranga, have been working with affected residents in Wairoa. Photo / NZ Red Cross
Team member Krystal Boyes said over the weekend, the team had spoken to people across the community, listening and offering support, including providing psychosocial first aid to about 130 people.
She and another team member spent both days working in collaboration with the Māori Wardens and TaskForce Kiwi.
“The most common thing we are hearing from residents that we’ve spoken to is a sense of frustration at this happening again, but also a sense of gratitude for our help and that of the other organisations here,” Boyes said.
“A lot of what we are doing is just being there to listen to people, to have a conversation about how they are feeling. One lady I spoke to said she had been waiting a week for someone to hug her.”
Boyes also noted that people had continued with a mindset of ‘Wairoa is resilient’ or ‘it is what it is’.
“We know the community is working hard to support each other. Some of the advice we’re giving is as simple as ensuring the people helping others look after themselves too.”
Stewart said there were also plenty of physical elements to the Red Cross response.
Supplies from the organisation’s stores have helped with the clean-up, including water blasters and wet/dry vacuums, which were delivered on Friday.
“We’ve also been working with regional community groups, such as One Voice Community Services Trust, to assist with costs to deliver emergency supplies donated by the community in Hastings to Wairoa,” he said.
Stewart also noted that continued work in Wairoa from Red Cross had been helped by “generous financial support” from the general public and the Disaster Response Alliance.
“Although we will not be establishing a specific appeal to support those impacted by the latest severe weather event, people are welcome to make a donation to New Zealand Red Cross ‘where the need is greatest’ fund via our website www.redcross.org.nz.”
Mitchell Hageman joined Hawke’s Bay Today in January 2023. From his Napier base, he writes regularly on social issues, arts and culture, and the community.
