Red Cross disaster fund helps thousands hit by severe weather.

In the year since Cyclone Gabrielle wreaked havoc on parts of the North Island, the New Zealand Red Cross has poured more than $28 million into helping those left most vulnerable.

The organisation’s General Manager Emergency Management and International, Sean Stewart, says the entire Red Cross New Zealand Disaster Fund – a total of $28.5 million including interest earned – has been committed to programmes supporting those severely impacted.

“We have worked closely with other groups and organisations including community groups such as hapu and marae and local councils to ensure funding was allocated where it would make the most difference,” he says. “Our fund has not been spent on areas where other agencies have responsibilities or were providing funding themselves.”

But Stewart says the cyclone and other severe weather events like the 2023 Auckland Anniversary floods have a long tail and full recovery from them is going to take years.

This recovery is still top of mind for many affected communities - and the anniversary of the events will bring different emotions - so some of the money has been allocated to providing psychological first aid and mental health support.

Over the past year, more than 1000 people attended Red Cross Psychological First Aid Courses – learning how to provide initial emotional and practical support to others who have experienced trauma

The organisation also supported programmes offered by others in impacted areas, through its Partnership Grants Programme. In Wairoa, renowned psychologist and author, Nigel Latta provided services to the local community – something he says has been a huge privilege.

“One of the most important things people from Wairoa said is that they didn’t just need a one-off event, they needed sustained support over a longer timeframe. The New Zealand Disaster Fund has made it possible for us to do that,” Latta says.

As the recovery continues funding has also been allocated to preparing for the inevitable next emergency.

“It’s a bit scary, but the reality is we can expect more intense events in the future and we need to be in the best position to face them, so we’re continuing to help communities prepare,” Stewart says.

He says out of the $28.5 million, $1 million was spent during the early emergency response, $15 million distributed in grants to help community organisations deliver response and recovery support, $6 million committed to support households through the Red Cross Home Bundles programme and $6.5 million to building community resilience.

“We’ve helped people who needed places to sleep, food or clothing, supported projects to repair and dry out homes, septic tanks and water supply, funded mental health and wellbeing projects, helped the most impacted replace household goods.

“There are people who lost everything and were left with no way to replace these things without help,” Stewart says.

He says the Red Cross Home Bundles programme will help over 2000 people most in need to replace furniture, whiteware, beds and bedding, heaters, essential kitchenware and other basic household items damaged in the severe weather.

“So far 263 bundles have been delivered in Tamaki Makaurau/Auckland, Tairawhiti and the Hawkes Bay with 95 awaiting delivery. We have capacity to deliver 500 bundles in total.”

In one example, a family who had to move four times after the floods before finding a permanent place to call home, were able to replace their furniture, bedding and appliances through a home bundle package after having lost everything.

One home bundles recipient says: “The best part I find about working with New Zealand Red Cross is that they made it so easy, and it was just at the time when we were about to give up and lose hope.”

To help communities be better prepared for future events, the Red Cross Resilience Investment programme is funding projects and activities that support community resilience in four areas – shelter, power, communications and welfare support.

“Shelter includes things like stretchers and bedding; power includes generators, battery banks and solar panels; communications includes satellite connections and emergency radios while welfare support includes first aid training and equipment and psychological first aid.”

Stewart says every emergency is an opportunity to learn and there are always things that could have been done better.

“The lessons we identified from last year’s events are already shaping our future responses,” he says. “For example, we are looking at how we can increase the number of Red Cross people who are trained and ready to help in an emergency and to refine the way we mobilise in an emergency.”

Around 350 trained volunteers work in Disaster Welfare and Support teams (each team has between 20 and 40 people) throughout the country and Stewart says they are looking to increase this number, particularly in Auckland.

The 2023 emergencies also demonstrated how regions and communities can be impacted differently in the same event, a factor which led the Red Cross to commit to “on-the-ground” conversations and to taking the time to understand what was needed.

Stewart says the Red Cross could not have helped in the way they have without the generous donations it receives.

“We’re incredibly grateful to all the people, businesses and community organisations who gave to the (Disaster) fund and who put their faith in us to use their money wisely.”

For more information: redcross.org.nz