BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
THE government and people of the Solomon Islands together with development partners can strengthen disaster risk reduction and management policies in particularly for the most vulnerable population in the country,” according to the US Ambassador to Papua New Guinea (PNG), the Republic of Vanuatu and Solomon Islands, Hon. Erin Elizabeth McKee.
Hon. McKee through a virtual presentation at the official launch of the signed US$1 million (SBD 8 million) disaster risk management project recently held at the Heritage Park Hotel in Honiara said together we can build strengthen disaster risk management policies and plan to greater local investment in disaster reduction particularly for the most vulnerable populations in the Solomon Islands.
“Through our working together with the Solomon Islands government, the national disaster management office, and provincial offices in Guadalcanal and Malaita province, as well as our partners and civil society organizations,’’ she expressed.
The two years (24 months) project from September 2020 to September 2022 will be implemented by World Vision Solomon Islands.
The project is aimed at vulnerable provincial communities in the region of Guadalcanal and Malaita will be facilitated by the World Vision in partnership with USAID through the funded support of the Government of the United States of America.
The project will benefit more than 2000 people in respective communities in the Weather Coast region of South Guadalcanal and the Northern region of Malaita. McKee said for general perception, the local vulnerable communities in the Solomon Islands had met the challenges of natural disaster tenuously.
“The project aims to assist mitigate the impacts of climate change by providing and increasing the local capacity building of local vulnerable communities.
“The programs under the project will also focus on training local leaders, men and women, to help communities grow to prepare a community before a natural disaster strikes and provide assistance should those events occurred.
“Women, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities are the most vulnerable to these natural hazards.
“By hinges with churches, community members, saving groups, the project should help local leaders to train households in preparedness to save them, their family members, homes, and their assets.
“I am very proud to say that this new program is another example of how the United States of America is enhancing its partnership with Solomon islands,’’ said McKee, who also serves as a mission director for the US agency for international development in Asia region of Jakarta.
