Sivaniolo Lumelume 
The Ministry for Rural and Maritime Development is working on mainstreaming disaster risk into every level of development policies, planning, and programs, especially rural housing assistance.
Minister for Rural and Maritime Development Sakiasi Ditoka says that they are working on the last post-disaster needs assessment report for tropical cyclones Evan in 2012 and Winston in 2016.
“Significant values of damages were noted in the housing sector, with an estimated $46.9 million recorded under TC Evan and a massive $751 million recorded under TC Winston. A total of 30,369 houses were destroyed or damaged during TC Winston, of which 17,891 [59%] were in the Western Division.”
According to Ditoka, the housing sector sustained the greatest damage, accounting for more than 58% of the total damage costs in 2016.
Ditoka says that despite the unavailability of housing damages in the rural areas in the report, the report assumed they incurred the most damages due to the TC Winston cyclone track towards the rural areas.
He says that there is a need for the government to invest in this area and building resilient and safe houses.
