Red Cross says help will be needed “in the years ahead”.
Recovery from the damage inflicted by Cyclone Gabrielle is entering a new phase, with support now being directed at helping affected families make a new start.
Of the $27 million donated to the Red Cross Disaster Fund since February, more than $20m has so far been committed to initiatives supporting those affected by the cyclone and other severe weather events earlier in the year.
Around $1m went toward immediate response and recovery, with a further $14m distributed to community organisations working on the ground through the Partnership Grants Programme.
Now, as people begin to return to repaired homes or move into new accommodation, much-needed funds are being directed towards the charity’s new $5.5m Home Bundles programme. New Zealand Red Cross Secretary General Sarah Stuart-Black says households identified by community partners as being in the greatest need will be provided with comprehensive kits of essentials, from new whiteware and living room furniture, to beds and bedding, heaters and kitchenware, to help them re-establish their lives.
“Some of the most vulnerable people might not have the means to replace all that they have lost, so we are supporting them to restart their lives by supplying these home essentials.” says Stuart-Black.
The Bundles programme was piloted in Te Karaka near Gisborne, before being extended to Tolaga Bay and Wairoa and now Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, with plans to roll it out into other affected areas in the coming weeks. It will run over several months, as eligible households are able to move back into their houses or find new permanent homes – meaning some of the money won’t be drawn on until early next year, nearly a year after the disaster.
Most of the remainder of the donated funds will be spent in the next few months in the Resilience Investment Programme. This is about better supporting and preparing communities for the next emergency, which is unfortunately inevitable.
“We’re speaking with these communities to look at what would help in terms of their ability to feel better connected and prepared when a disaster happens, whether that’s equipment or somewhere people can go when evacuated, or preparedness training,” Stuart-Black says.
“We have seen from recent events that the frequency and severity of emergencies affecting New Zealanders has significantly increased, and we want to use this opportunity to be able to make sure these communities are better prepared.”
New Zealand Red Cross was able to move quickly to provide vital support in the wake of the cyclone and other weather events, providing psychological and practical support to around 1500 people displaced from their homes, helping to run Civil Defence centres and purchasing and distributing emergency equipment such as generators and sat phones.
One of its key successes in the early days after the cyclone was establishing a communications link with the isolated farming community of Rissington, near Napier.
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New Zealand Red Cross also took a longer view, looking at how to best direct the funds raised to areas of greatest need: “We have worked closely with communities and organisations over these last six months to make sure support could be targeted to the people who were the most vulnerable, who were facing challenges in their personal situations,” says Stuart-Black.
“It’s a really fine balance — we were trying to take the time to understand where the needs were and how we could help as many people as we could, while also trying to get that active support out as soon as possible.
“We understand that there have been people in difficult situations who have felt that help could have come faster, but we really needed to work through the best way to distribute the fund and to ensure that we were working closely with other organisations who were also providing assistance. We felt that it was important that we directed the funds to where it would have the most impact.”
Stuart-Black says it was important for Red Cross to partner with local organisations that residents already knew and trusted to provide targeted, effective and joined-up support. More than 150 community groups and initiatives, from marae to meal-preparation agencies and Portaloo suppliers, have received grants to benefit their communities through funds donated to Red Cross.
“It’s really critical that we understand that the recovery is going to take years and we are still at an early stage,” she says. “What people are feeling, and what their needs are, changes over time. We have had to look at how we can allocate funds to support individuals and families in the short term, but also organisations that are going to continue to work with them over the years ahead.”
Through feedback from affected communities and multiple visits to the areas worst impacted by the storm, especially Tairawhiti and Hawke’s Bay, Stuart-Black says she has seen first-hand the difference funds raised have made to people’s lives.
“The message to all those people who gave money is: it has made a difference to the lives of people who have been devastated. It’s so incredible what we have achieved together, and they can be assured that it’s making such a difference.”
For more information: redcross.org.nz