The head of a civil society group in Fiji says while NGOs welcome support from donors for those affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and climate crises, more needs to be done.
The European Union recently committed $US24 million to support Fiji's rural communities.
European Union's ambassador for the Pacific, Sujiro Seam. Photo: Twitter / Sujiro Seam
The head of the EU Delegation to the Pacific, Sujiro Seam, said funds were also channeled to the Foundation for Rural Integrated Enterprises and Development, or FRIEND, to help vulnerable people in the western division.
FRIEND Director, Sashi Kiran, said the EU's $US14,000 donation went towards food, livelihood set-up and training, but more needed to be done at a national level.
"I don't think we're hearing enough national leaders talking about it.
"We would like organisations hosting events in Suva to bring them to Nadi so some of the economy could be injected back to Nadi. Not a lot of services provided. There are not a lot of alternatives for employment being offered. So there is a lot that can be done."
Kiran said 200,000 people in the west were being impacted by both crises.
Sujiro Seam said out of the $US24m, $US9.5m was allocated directly to the government while the rest would be made available over the next three years.
"In May, we cancelled our Europe Day celebrations and repurposed $F30,000 to help FRIEND assist families in Nadi, Lautoka and Ba," Seam said.
Cyclone Harold hit the country in April and left one person dead and tens of thousands of people homeless.
Sashi Kiran said New Zealand provided $US14,000 for the Cyclone Harold food relief and Australia had also supported the programme.
She said apart from that, much of the foundation's donations had come from citizens, local organisations, corporate and silent donors.
Sashi Kiran at the headquarters of FRIEND in Fiji Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
Last week, FRIEND alongside other civil society organisations, opened the CSO Covid-19 Humanitarian Response Centre in Nadi.
Kiran said a large proportion of the population in the western division had been impacted by the pandemic and the climate crises.
Tens of thousands of tourist sector workers had lost their jobs due to the pandemic.
She said Nadi was the tourist hub of the nation but since the Covid outbreak in March, the town had "basically been left all alone and not a lot of services being provided.
"There are no real incentives for people to start small enterprises and there are no real innovation funds available for people to restart their lives if they want to."
Kiran said at the moment, FRIEND was providing livelihood and food security training as well as seedlings for people living with disabilities or squatters with limited land.
"We're now looking for funds to help people with their livelihood options. What they can do to survive in the next eight or 10 months."
Kiran said many of those sitting at home now were skilled and need some support to recreate work for themselves.
Leadership has failed them and I mean leadership in many institutions, she said.
"They need to come together to see what more can they do to generate the economy because it's a problem that's not going to go away anytime soon and we need to think long-term solutions."
Last month, the government announced a $US1.7 billion national Budget for the 2020-2021 financial year.
Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said this included a $US930 million stimulus package to fund the country's recovery from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
But the opposition parties said the government had failed to address the biggest crisis in the country - unemployment.
