In January 2022, TC Cody, a category 1 cyclone, caused widespread damage across Fiji with significant rainfall leading to extensive flooding in the western and central mainland. Over 4,500 people were displaced.

Describe FEMAT’s response to TC Cody in the midst of COVID-19 Delta and Omicron outbreak.

FEMAT coordinated initial response through the sub-divisional mobile teams that were activated within 12 hours after impact and tasked with monitoring the evacuation centers and screening the affected communities for illness or injuries. Later post-disaster (72 hours) deployments included WASH, food, and vector control activities.

Health Inspectors provided technical expertise for FEMAT in WASH, vector control and food safety. During this deployment, they led the team with disinfection of 177 evacuation centers, provided surveillance for food safety at local food outlets, distributed 1,874 hygiene kits, 141 menstrual hygiene management kits, 1,097 WASH kits, 476 water containers and 179 hygiene promotion kits, assisted in emergency water distribution carting for 210 households and 1,667 water purification tablets to the beneficiary. This provided aid to 12,705 households. The team also implemented vector control activities with source reduction targeting hot spot and high-risk areas with the removal of mosquito breeding sites, anti-mosquito fogging and larvciding.

The FEMAT response assisted in minimizing of potential outbreaks in communities post-disaster during COVID-19 outbreaks.