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Displacement and mortality
Official figures from the Fiji National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) state that 4,561 people were displaced due to the flood event in January 2012, with 74 evacuation centres set up to support them. Estimates of mortality attributed to immediate consequences of the flooding ranges between eight and eleven people. Indirect mortality rates were much higher, for example at least 44 people were killed by diseases attributable to the flood waters.

Extreme ground saturation and flooding in January 2012 caused by tropical depression 06F, is said to have exacerbated the impact of further flooding in March 2012 caused by tropical depression 17F. The March floods displaced a further 15,000 people and killed 4.

Human health: disease outbreaks
In Fiji, where much of the population live in low-lying areas, heavy cyclonic rainfall is a high risk factor for transmission of water-borne diseases and diseases which spread through fecal-oral transmission. The flood conditions in January 2012 led to a rise in cases of water-borne diseases, including a serious Leptospirosis outbreak. During the January 2012 flood event and the corresponding March 2012 flood event, 576 Leptospirosis cases were recorded, with a case fatality rate of 7%. Issues with water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) in the aftermath of the flooding also caused a spike in reported cases of typhoid and diarrhoea.

Human health: mental health and wellbeing
Those impacted by the floods reported lasting trauma due to the destruction caused by the flooding. This included loss of homes and possessions, displacement of people, and fragmentation of communities. Mental health and wellbeing support in the aftermath of the flood was limited. Limited warnings in advance of the flood were stated as a cause of concern and anxiety.

Gendered impacts on health and wellbeing
It is well documented that women experience poorer outcomes from natural disaster. In the aftermath of the January 2012 and March 2012 flooding, pre-existing issues with gender-based and domestic violence toward women and girls worsened. Three instances of serious sexual assault in flood evacuation shelters were documented, and subsequent training in recognising and preventing gender based violence was rolled out to emergency workers. Financial strain caused by the loss of livelihoods gave rise to sexual exploitation of women and children. Women reported experiencing unequal access to the humanitarian relief mobilised for those affected, also citing tensions between different communities and ethnic groups.

The different sanitation needs of women and girls can go overlooked during natural disasters. The Fiji Red Cross Society provided 'dignity kits' to support the menstrual hygiene of women and girls during the flooding event and aftermath.

Aggravating factors

Many people in Suva live in informal settlements on land susceptible to flooding, and in housing deemed inadequate to withstand heavy cyclonic activity or flood waters. Around 34% of people living in the areas affected at the time of the flooding were living below the poverty line. Poorer households in Fiji have less resilience to flood events and their aftermath. Those in low income brackets are less likely to be able to prepare for and recover from flood events. Furthermore, flood events can push households over the poverty line or further into poverty, exacerbating the effects of future events.

References