BY CHARLES STENNETT

As the country is grappling with the negative effects of El Nino, the United Nations is preparing to release up to US$100 million in emergency funding as forecasts indicate that the next El Niño will be more severe than the 2023-24 event that left tens of millions of people in need of humanitarian assistance.

In a statement, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher warns that extreme heat, droughts and floods are once again set to devastate communities across Latin America, Eastern and Southern Africa, Asia and the Pacific.

He said the previous El Niño left tens of millions of people requiring food, nutrition, water, sanitation, health, agricultural support and protection.

“The forecasts are clear: this one looks even worse. It comes on top of widespread conflict, rising numbers of people on the move, and as soaring fuel, fertilizer and food prices are squeezing the most vulnerable families – while the humanitarian system reels from deep cuts.”

Fletcher said the UN is prepared to release up to US$100 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund, CERF, to support early action.

“We are ready to disburse up to US$100m from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to get ahead of this El Niño,” he said.

Fletcher said more than US$20 million has already been allocated for anticipatory action in six countries.

“Through CERF’s Climate Action Account, we are investing in vulnerable communities to better withstand the climate shocks ahead,” he said.

Fletcher calls for increased early and flexible financing, greater efforts to resolve conflicts, support for displaced communities and stronger action on climate change.

“We need early, flexible financing – more effective and less costly in the long run – to match the scale of the risk. We ask for the world to prioritise conflict resolution and support to communities forced to flee. And we urge braver climate action in place of the short term and selfish decisions that are pushing us relentlessly towards the 1.5°C warming cliff edge.

Solomon Islands is experiencing the effects of El Nino through long dry spells resulting in water shortages in many of the islands.

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BY DOUGLAS VAHIA

An SDA group from West Rennell District turned out July 13 to clean up the Tigoa Meteorology Headquarters in Rennell and Bellona Province.

The group spent the past two weeks volunteering around the Tigoa station. The initiative follows a decision by the group’s committee to provide community cleaning services in the area.

Speaking to the Island Sun yesterday, SDA Western group leader Rodney Tuiaki said the effort was an expression of Christian faith.

He said the group wanted to demonstrate biblical teaching in action by engaging youths and families in providing essential community services, working “with faith and heart as Christians”.

The group has also cleaned the police station and the mini hospital in addition to the Meteorology office, Tuiaki said, describing the work as a reflection of Christian life and mutual support in faith.

Tigoa Meteorology Substation Officer Lewis Hopa thanked the SDA Western Rennell District on behalf of the Meteorology Office for its community service.

He said he appreciates the group’s tireless teamwork, noting that despite difficult circumstances, members had cooperated fully and lent a helping hand.

The group’s clean-up drive has covered several sites around Tigoa station, the police station on Sunday, and the mini hospital and Meteorology office yesterday. Their community service program is ongoing, with the next work site yet to be decided.

Hopa also noted that although no ships have arrived from Honiara for months following a recent ship fire, the community continues to rely on local food. He said the SDA Western group’s efforts show that working together and helping one another is the way forward for the community.

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BY JOSES SAREN & IRWIN ANGIKI

Domestic air travel continues to be disrupted as Solomon Airlines services the country with only one Twin Otter plane.

Solomon Airlines says with the old age of its planes it is adjusting according to maintenance and seasonal demands.

The domestic fleet used to comprise of three twin otters and a dash-8. However, in April this year, the dash-8 went for what was supposedly a six-week routine C-Check in Australia which uncovered an array of problem requiring immediate fix.

But this came with a huge, unforeseen cost worth millions, which the national carrier is paying slowly before the repair works can begin. The dash-8 is still in Australia awaiting repairs.

Of the three twin otters, the lease of one expired in April this year and was returned to its owner.

Since then, the remaining two twin otter planes have struggled to serve the country’s domestic routes.

Most times only one twin otter would be working, while the other is down undergoing maintenance.

This has led to the airlines having to cancel or postpone flights, shift flight times within a day, and other measures to adjust. A growing list of frustrated passengers have resulted from this.

Island Sun has received complaints from a number of passengers decrying having missed their flight due to change in flight times in which they were not notified. Others say they have been waiting for a week since their flights continue to be postponed.

It is understood that a government team is stranded in Temotu province, affected by this Solomon Airlines problem. Several other government officials are also behind their work schedules with their flights to the provinces continuing to be postponed.

With only a single plane covering more than 15 operational airports, the strain on provincial connectivity is severe — particularly for communities where air transport is the only fast link to Honiara.

Responding to questions from Island Sun this week, Solomon Airlines CEO Matt Findlay said scheduling across its domestic fleet is “managed dynamically” and confirmed adjustments are underway to accommodate maintenance needs.

“Solomon Airlines domestic fleet composition and scheduling of aircraft on our provincial network are managed dynamically according to maintenance cycles and ‘on the day requirements’, lease arrangements, and seasonal demand.

“We can confirm that scheduling adjustments are being made to our domestic operations, to accommodate scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and we are working to ensure minimal disruption to provincial communities who rely on these services,” Mr Findlay said.

Findlay confirmed the airline’s Twin Otter aircraft registered NNP has been out of service for an extended period for major repairs, while its Dash 8 aircraft is currently undergoing scheduled heavy maintenance in Australia.

He said further work was identified once the Dash 8 was opened for inspection than had originally been anticipated.

“As is not unusual with aircraft of this type and age, further work was identified once the Dash 8 aircraft was opened up for inspection. We are managing this process closely with our maintenance provider and will shortly have a clearer picture of timeframes.

“Safety is of paramount importance and our domestic flight operations are an extremely high priority, to support the movement of people and cargo throughout the Solomon Islands. We take our responsibility very seriously to address any maintenance issue that requires attention as swiftly as can be managed,” Findlay said.

Solomon Airlines said it will shortly issue a public statement on domestic capacity to communicate directly with provincial communities and stakeholders on short-term schedule changes.

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BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

Police have stepped up patrols in Belaha, Central Guadalcanal, following a series of burglary and suspected arson incidents and fresh sightings of suspected intruders this week.

Central Guadalcanal Youth Chairman Larry Viravira confirmed that a visible police presence has been maintained in the area since Sunday, after villagers reported seeing unidentified people at nearby locations near communities on Sunday and Monday nights this week.

The latest sightings were on Monday, July 13, after a string of incidents over the past week, including a break-in at Paringiju Mountain Lodge, the burning of a logging truck, and another break-in at Betikama-Kolina 3 in which two people were injured and later admitted to the National Referral Hospital.

Mr Viravira said the first group of suspected offenders was spotted on Sunday near the Mbetilonga mining prospecting camp in Belaha.

He, however, said that the police were alerted immediately, but the suspects fled before officers arrived.

He said another group was seen again on late Monday evening.

“My brother and I saw about six men parked beside the road late in the evening. We recorded the vehicle’s licence plate number and reported it to the police. Police arrived around midnight to collect the information,” he said.

Henderson Police yesterday confirmed that an inquiry file had been opened after reports of the incidents were received and that the report had been forwarded to the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force Headquarters at Rove for further attention.

Mr Viravira said he welcomes the increased police patrols but calls for a sustained day-and-night presence until those responsible are identified and arrested.

Mr Viravira adds that in response to the security concerns, residents have established six community checkpoints at key entry points, including Upper Tenaru, Betikama River, Paringiju and the entrances to logging and mining sites, where vehicles are checked nightly from 10pm.

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BY BEN BILUA
Gizo

THE Ministry of Public Service (MPS) is moving to introduce two new subsidiary legislations that aim to strengthen the management of the public service and provide a clearer legal framework for its operations.

Speaking to the media in Gizo, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Service, Luke Cheka, said the proposed legislations are the Public Service Regulations and the Public Service Orders.

He said the new Public Service Orders will replace the existing Public Service General Orders, which have guided public servants for many years.

Cheka explained that both subsidiary legislations are currently in draft form, with consultations now underway to gather views from public servants across the provinces before they are finalised.

He said public servants in Western Province participating in a consultation workshop this week where they are being introduced to the draft legislations and invited to provide feedback.

“These subsidiary legislations will soon become law, and it is important to give our province-based public servants the opportunity to have their say.

“We will present the draft to the participants and hear their recommendations, understanding that some sections of the legislation may be enforced differently in Honiara compared to the provinces,” Cheka said.

He said the consultation process is intended to ensure the new legal instruments are practical and responsive to the realities faced by public servants throughout the country.

Cheka said feedback from provincial officers will help refine the legislations before they are submitted for approval and implementation.

The proposed Public Service Regulations and Public Service Orders are expected to complement the recently enacted Public Service Act 2025, providing detailed procedures and guidance for the effective administration of the Solomon Islands public service.

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BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

The Honiara City Council (HCC) has denied claims that it plans to dissolve the Honiara Central Market Vendors Association, despite reports that a letter proposing action against the association had been circulated within the council.

Information obtained by Island Sun yesterday indicated that a letter had been submitted to the Market Master outlining plans to deal with the association and dissolve the vendors’ body.

The Market Master, however, said she cannot make comments when this paper contacted her yesterday, as the matter rests upon the HCC Clerk to make comments on the request.

However, when contacted, the HCC City Clerk yesterday, dismissed the claims, saying the council had not issued such a directive.

HCC maintains that no such decision has been made and that the claimed letter is not genuine.

The denial comes following an inquiry by this paper into the complaints raised by the Guadalcanal Province Council of Women (GPCW) over safety and security issues for their women farmers.

GPCW in a letter dated July 2 2026, advised that women farmers from Guadalcanal would temporarily stop selling their produce at the Honiara Central Market.

The council’s decision follows an incident in which a woman farmer reportedly fell from a vehicle after arriving at the market while re-sellers rushed to purchase cabbages directly from the victim.

The Guadalcanal Provincial Council of Women said the incident reflected wider concerns over the activities of resellers, claiming they often intercept farmers upon arrival, limiting the opportunity for growers to sell directly to consumers and creating an unsafe trading environment for local farmers.

The council calls on HCC to strengthen market management, improve security and address the issue of resellers before Guadalcanal women would return to the market.

Island Sun has also been informed that a meeting involving HCC, representatives of the Guadalcanal women farmers and the Honiara Central Market Vendors Association to discuss the concerns and identify solutions to allow the women farmers to resume selling at the market did not convene.

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-Rennell & Bellona province calls on GREAT government and its national disaster agencies following relief supplies, materials for the two islands lost with sunk MV Anjeanette

-‘Where’s NDC, NDMO – What type of disaster will you react to?’ Deputy Premier questions

BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

The burning and sinking of MV Anjeanette did not just mean a company losing a ship – it also meant a whole province, constituency and its people losing everything.

The ship was laden with – relief supplies (food and water) sent by authorities for the drought-stricken islands of Rennell and Bellona experiencing food shortage, cargoes for shops and canteens on the two islands, materials for projects by various stakeholders; constituency, province, NGOs, churches and individuals, food and household items sent by individuals and families for their loved ones in the two islands including wheelchairs for elderly people.

The Rennell and Bellona provincial government is calling on the GREAT government and its disaster agencies to assist and respond to the disaster in the two islands that has been exacerbated by the tragic burning and sinking of the ship with all the cargoes.

Deputy Premier Collin Tesu’atai told Island Sun yesterday while most media hype was focused on the loss of a well-known ship, another side to the incident is Rennell and Bellona people having had their suffering made worse.

“We sympathise with the owners of MV Anjeanette who had always stepped in to help Rennell and Bellona when we needed a ship to serve the two islands.

“The people of Rennell and Bellona who were suffering the impacts of a four-month drought and ensuing food shortage, which had been made worse by three months without any ship, are grieving and suffering their lost properties onboard MV Anjeanette,” Mr Tesu’atai said.

“Everyone on Rennell and Bellona was looking forward to this trip because of the food and water. Others including the constituency, province, churches, NGOs and individuals were expecting their materials to be transported to the two islands for their livelihood projects.

“Families and individuals struggling in Honiara paid food and items to send to their loved ones on the islands. Now everything is just gone. And it was not of their making too.

“It has been 10 days and surprisingly we have not heard the national government nor its disaster agencies such as the National Disaster Council (NDC) and National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) to announce any relief work for Rennell and Bellona.

“Where are the NDC and NDMO? What types of disaster are you waiting for before you react and assist?

“This incident represents an existing disaster on Rennell and Bellona which was made worse by relief supplies and cargoes intended for the province lost when the ship they were loaded in got burnt down and sunk.

“If the national disaster offices do not react then what should we expect from these disaster agencies?” Tesu’atai asks.

Water and food shortage

People on Rennell and Bellona are heavily dependant on processed food where rice, noodle and canned tuna are staple.

Due to the drought and food shortage, some who have gardens are forced to share their harvest, while families resort to strict rationing of any rice they have left.

But these are running out as there is no end in sight for the drought – and then the MV Anjeanette tragedy struck.

Many are reportedly resorting to ‘disaster time foods’ to survive which are wild root crops normally neglected in abundant times.

School principal Daley Tesu’atai speaking to Island Sun from Bellona yesterday said they are making follow-up assessments to report to their provincial authorities regarding the water and food shortage.

“Water tanks on the island are empty. Only few who have some left are strictly rationing it. Food shortage is ongoing while many people are resorting to wild crops and fruits to complement the little harvest they have from gardens. Some who are without gardens are faring worse.”

Several people have taken to social media to share their adventurous activities of scouring the bushes for wild yams, pandanus and pawpaw.

Fruits of pandanus which was considered food in the ancient times have been reportedly resorted to for consumption.

Provincial government seeking relief supply ship

Deputy Premier Tesu’atai said his provincial government had an urgent meeting resolving to send a ship with relief supplies to the two islands.

“We cannot sit around and wait for government to carry out its assessment of the MV Anjeanette tragedy while our people back on Rennell and Bellona are suffering from the drought and food shortage,” he said.

“The Renbel provincial government has met and resolved to look to arranging a relief supply for Rennell and Bellona. We’ve secured a ship but we are still looking around for assistance to purchase food and water.

“We are reaching out to the national government ministries and business houses to help us in this.”

Tesu’atai said they are hoping to send the relief supplies by this weekend if they have garnered enough support for relief supplies.

“We really need the GREAT government to step in and assist,” Tesu’atai said.

Second Appointed Day cancelled

Deputy Premier Tesu’atai said the MV Anjeanette tragedy has forced the cancelation of this year’s celebrations of Rennell and Bellona province’s Second Appointed Day.

“We cannot celebrate when our people are grieving and suffering their loss,” Deputy Premier Tesu’atai said.

Furthermore, there is no food and water for such events to be held, he adds.

This marks the second time for such cancellation, the first being in 2015 due to serious political and social disputes on Rennell over the registration of land for mining.

MV Anjeanette tragedy first of its kind

On the early hours of Saturday, July 4, around 4am social media began erupting with news of MV Anjeanette being on fire, docked at the Pt Cruz wharf.

It was later towed out to sea while attempts continued to put out the fire. Sometimes last week, the ship reportedly sank. The time of sinking is not clear. An active investigation by authorities is current.

This is the first time for such to happen – a ship getting burnt down at the Pt Cruz wharf, and then later sinking.

At the time it caught fire, MV Anjeanette was heavily laden with cargo bound for Rennell and Bellona province.

It had spent few days loading – cargoes transferred from MV Awka plus additional cargoes loaded. It was reportedly set to sail that Saturday. Initially MV Awka had sailed to Renbel province but was forced to turn back due to bad weather.

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