BY BEN BILUA
Gizo
THE Western Provincial Disaster Operation Committee is expecting to finalise the Initial Damage Assessment (IDA) report this week as recovery efforts continue following Cyclone Maila.
Speaking to Island Sun, Western Province Deputy Provincial Secretary Collin Potakana said the province is now focusing on the recovery process while relief assistance continues in some affected islands and communities.
He said the immediate priority is the compilation and finalisation of assessment reports gathered by teams deployed across affected areas in the province.
Potakana said the assessments are important because they will help authorities plan and facilitate the recovery process.
He said the main task now is to consolidate all the reports from teams deployed to different islands and communities affected by the cyclone.
According to Mr Potakana, about 90 percent of the assessments have already been completed, with only a few remaining communities yet to be covered.
He said assessment teams were expected to travel to central Ranongga, several communities in north Kolombangara, Vona Vona and parts of New Georgia to complete the remaining assessments.
“We will send teams to quickly conduct IDA on central Ranongga, few communities in north Kolombangara, Vona Vona and New Georgia island.
“This will complete the deployment to carry out the IDA,” Potakana said.
He said ongoing bad weather has continued to affect assessment operations, particularly in parts of central Ranongga, slowing down the process.
Potakana said the final report will provide a clearer understanding of the scale of destruction left behind by Cyclone Maila and guide the next phase of recovery efforts.
“This report will give a clear picture to plan the recovery phase, so this report is very important,” he said.
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