10 May 2007

Solomons revokes disaster status of tsunami zone

3:36 pm on 10 May 2007

The Solomon Islands government has revoked the disaster zone declaration which was imposed on both Western and Choiseul provinces following the earthquake and tsunami last month.

Lifting the declaration has ended the immediate relief phase of the operation and the country is now entering the rehabilitation and rebuilding phase.

Donors are meeting to decide which areas they want to rebuild with the Japanese International Volunteers Centre indicating they will rebuild Gizo Hospital, but not until 2009.

The rebuilding phase is expected to take five years but the Programmes Officer for the National Disaster Management Office, Julian Makaa says it could be delayed by customary land ownership issues as villagers choose to remain in the hills rather than return to the coast.

"That will be a factor that may delay the actual reconstruction because those have to be sorted out with the land owning groups and then of course, getting the government to get surveyors out and actually map the areas but that wouldn't happen until and unless the agreement with land owners and the government are cleared."

Julian Makaa says in the meantime assessors are finishing off their damage reports, with the latest estimates indicating that 850 houses need to be rebuilt, and 600 repaired.