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New Zealand has provided a FJ$250,000 grant to Live & Learn Environmental Education to enable installation of rainwater collection and storage systems for 28 selected schools and emergency evacuation centres in the Nadi River basin and Sigatoka regions in Fiji.
The availability of safe drinking water remains a concern for many communities in Fiji following floods in January. NZAID’s contribution to Live & Learn will help ensure that systems are in place to provide safe water in the case of future severe weather events.
As part of the project, safe water use and sanitation education plans will be developed for the 28 schools, helping to improve community resilience and preparedness.
The funding is part of a NZ$3 million package of assistance managed by NZAID to assist recovery work following the January floods.
The May 2009 issue of NewZAID covered the displacement crisis in Northern Pakistan following the number of people internally displaced by fighting between the Pakistan Government and militants.
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHRC), with support from the international donor community, quickly responded to the crisis in Northern Pakistan. As a result the UNHCR has reported a fall in the number of people internally displaced.
In the Buner district more than half of the displaced people have returned home, and normal life appears to be resuming to some extent.
The first stage of a four-phase programme run by several United Nations agencies and aid organisations has begun to return internally displaced people (IDP) to some areas of the Buner and Swat districts. Between June and July the number of IDPs living in displacement camps fell from 260,000 to 220,000.
The UNHCR has commended the donor community and the Government of Pakistan for their work in handling the rapidly escalating displacement crisis.
NZAID provides significant funding to UNHCR, one of the NZAID’s ‘top 10’ priority multilateral agencies.
For more information about NZAID's work with UNHCR contact Stephenie Knight.
New Zealand has been appointed Chair of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Donors Support Group for a one-year period from mid 2010.
OCHA has a central role in the effective coordination and mobilization of international humanitarian assistance following a severe natural disaster or an emergency. OCHA also manages the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination, which is a system of international emergency management experts, including nine New Zealanders, who are able to be deployed in the field within 12-48 hours of a sudden disaster.
The Donor Support Group has an advisory and review role on various policy, management and resource issues for OCHA in the absence of a formal governing board. Being appointed as Chair provides New Zealand with a better platform to work towards further improvements in the effectiveness of OCHA’s work.
New Zealand currently provides annual core funding of $6 million to OCHA.
For more information contact Frederick van der Vloodt.
NZAID’s multilateral partner, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), is now providing an Early Childhood Development Kit to encourage development and social interaction of young children affected by emergencies, such as war or natural disasters.
The kit can be used by up to 50 children aged six or under. It contains 37 different items such as dominos, colouring pencils, construction blocks, hand puppets, puzzle blocks, and memory games. UNICEF says the kit encourages early childhood development and social interaction while giving children a sense of property and ownership.
The new kit will complement UNICEF’s School-in-a-Box and Recreation Kits which have become part of the agency’s standard response in emergencies.
NZAID provides an annual contribution of NZ$6 million to UNICEF, plus additional funding for specific humanitarian disasters around the world. For more information about NZAID’s work with UNICEF contact Stephenie Knight or Sue Lancaster.
NZAID’s Currents magazine is an interesting and informative way to find out more about how New Zealand is working to support development and respond to humanitarian crises in our region, and around the world.
To receive a free copy of the magazine in the post please contact Nadine Koszler with your mailing details or visit NZAID’s website to download a copy.
The upcoming issue includes stories on the work of the Fred Hollows Foundation New Zealand, the Prime Minister’s trip to the Pacific, a close look at New Zealand’s aid programme with Samoa and much more!
 - Issue 15 of Currents. In this issue... Helping to ease suffering.
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NewZAID updates you in brief on key issues and events on the NZAID agenda. Please click on the useful links included in this newsletter to explore issues in greater depth.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged rich and poor nations to enhance efforts to fight poverty and hunger after the United Nations (UN) 2009 Millennium Development Goal report shows that recent progress is being threatened by the global economic crisis.
The UN report, released earlier this month, warns that overall progress has been too slow for most of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – the internationally agreed development goals to be achieved by 2015.
The Secretary-General noted that the current economic environment makes achieving the goals even more difficult and higher food prices in 2008 have reversed the nearly two-decade trend in reducing hunger.
The 2009 MDG publication is based on data from over 20 organisations both within and outside the UN system, and is considered the most comprehensive worldwide MDG assessment yet. It reports that the number of people living on less than US$1.25 a day reduced from 1.8 billion to 1.4 billion in the period from 1990 to 2005.
The report does show progress towards the MDGs. Fewer people today are dying of AIDS and many countries are implementing proven approaches to combat malaria and measles, two major causes of child mortality.
“We are edging closer to universal primary education. We are well on our way to meeting the safe drinking water target,” Mr Ban said.
However, indicators show major gains in the fight against extreme poverty are likely to come to a standstill due to the full impact of the recent economic downturn. In 2009, an estimated 55 million to 90 million more people will be living in extreme poverty than anticipated before the crisis.
For more information and to read the 2009 MDG report click here. Please note that due to file size of the MDG report this site may take longer to download.
 - Students from the Leadership Development Programme with NZAID and Unitec staff.
The opening workshop for the Pacific scholarship students’ Leadership Development Programme (PSSLDP) was held on 8 July in Wellington, bringing together 15 participants who are currently on study scholarships throughout New Zealand.
Funded through NZAID’s scholarship programme, and facilitated by Unitec New Zealand, the PSSLDP is designed to enable students to participate in a personal leadership development programme that is relevant to the cultural context of Pacific Island communities.
Students from Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Samoa, Marshall Islands and Timor Leste are participating in the course which will run until December 2010. Participants are involved in community, education, government and agriculture sectors in their home countries, and are undertaking the leadership course in addition to their existing tertiary studies. Participants will receive a Certificate in Pacific Leadership. This is a 15 credit course that can be cross-credited to other courses in New Zealand tertiary institutions.
As part of the programme students are required to take part in a peer mentoring programme and in a leadership placement to observe an existing leader in action.
At the opening workshop, attended by NZAID representatives, students expressed their gratitude to NZAID and the New Zealand public for helping to fund their tertiary studies. As special thanks, students presented NZAID Scholarships Manager, Jane Leitch, with a customary Papua New Guinean bilum (a hand woven bag that traditionally signifies hard work and abundance).
For more information about the Leadership Programme contact Chris Day. To find out more about NZAID’s scholarship programme visit the NZAID website.
On 8 July NZAID held an official reception to welcome 29 representatives from five Asian countries who are taking part in the English Language Training for Officials (ELTO) programme.
ELTO is a 22-week course designed to help officials from Asia, particularly recently joined members of Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN), to improve their English language skills. The training allows them to fully participate in international meetings where English is the main language of communication.
The course is funded by NZAID and this year’s participants are from Cambodia, Lao, Mongolia, and Viet Nam. The focus for this year’s training is on sustainable economic development – a suitable emphasis given the current economic climate.
To date more than 750 officials have taken part in the programme and the New Zealand government recently committed to providing ELTO training to a further 300 officials over the next five years.
One guest at the reception, Vietnamese ambassador, H.E. Vuong Hai Nam, is himself a former ELTO graduate and one official taking part in the training this year is the son of a former graduate.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon Murray McCully spoke at the function which was attended by representatives from partner countries, NZAID, the wider Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and education providers.
For more information about the ELTO programme contact Sokha Mey.
NZAID and the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (FWCC) signed an agreement on 7 July to continue New Zealand’s support for the Centre’s work to prevent and respond to violence against women in Fiji.
The six-year, FJ$3.5 million funding arrangement reinforces New Zealand’s strong commitment to the people of Fiji.
NZAID Manager in Suva, Tom Wilson, said “New Zealand is pleased to be supporting this funding arrangement with the FWCC given the huge toll that violence against women has on families, individuals and communities. We recognise and support the critical role that FWCC plays in providing services to rural, urban and informal settlement communities across Fiji.”
FWCC Coordinator, Shamima Ali, welcomed the continuation of New Zealand’s long standing support and noted that there is a strong correlation between poverty, the economic status of women, and violence against women.
Established in 1984, the FWCC is a multi-racial, non-government organisation with the goal of eliminating violence against women in Fiji and the Pacific region. The Centre’s branches in Suva, Nadi, Labasa and Ba deal with approximately 1,000 -1,500 new cases and a similar number of repeat cases of violence related incidents each year. New Zealand has been providing support to FWCC’s since 2000.
For more information about the FWCC’s work visit their website. To find out more about New Zealand’s assistance to development in Fiji visit www.nzaid.govt.nz.
 - Prime Minister John Key's welcome ceremony in Tonga.
On his Pacific goodwill tour earlier this month, Prime Minister John Key announced increases in official development assistance for Tonga, Samoa and the Cook Islands.
During the first leg of his visit, Prime Minister John Key emphasised New Zealand’s commitment to Tonga’s political reform process and economic progress in his talks with Tonga’s Prime Minister Dr Feleti Sevele.
Both New Zealand and Australia strongly support the Tongan Government’s commitment to the process of political and constitutional reform. The increase in official development assistance to Tonga from NZ$12 million to NZ$16 million for the 2009/10 financial year is reflective of New Zealand’s support for the reform process, and includes funding for a civic education programme.
While in Samoa Mr Key announced New Zealand’s official development assistance to Samoa will increase from NZ$10.5 million to NZ$14 million this year.
The Prime Minister stated “The increase reflects the Government’s commitment to a greater development impact in the Pacific, as well our strong ties with Samoa and the significant people-to-people links our two countries share.”
During the Prime Minister’s visit to the Cook Islands John Key and Cook Islands Prime Minister Jim Marurai signed a Tax Information Exchange Agreement between the two countries as part of international efforts to strengthen cooperation in this area.
The Cook Islands will receive an increase in official development assistance in 2009/10 from $11 million to $14 million in 2009/10.
“This assistance, delivered through NZAID, will focus on support for activities which contribute to sustainable economic development,” Mr Key said.
For more information about NZAID’s official development assistance to the Pacific contact communications@nzaid.govt.nz.
One of NZAID’s major multilateral partners, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has begun facilitating the return of 182 children to normal civilian life after being used by rebels as child soldiers in the Central African Republic.
The children, aged between 10 and 17 years, including 16 girls, were released this month by the People's Army for the Restoration of Democracy, a rebel group in the northern Ouham Pende Province. The children have fought with the rebel group since its formation in 2006.
UNICEF has monitored the children’s health and is providing catch-up classes for those of school-going age, in order to help their reintegration into the formal school system. Those who are too old to return to school are being offered a range of training opportunities, including skills in livestock farming, agriculture, tailoring and carpentry.
All the demobilised child soldiers have been reunited with their families after receiving assistance on how to make the transition back into normal civilian life.
In Sudan, UNICEF and the Darfur Child Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration programme have been working on a separate child soldier demobilisation initiative. The programme is taking place in Tora, a village located about 60 kilometres from El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state.
Thirty-six child soldiers who served with armed rebels in Darfur have been voluntarily demobilized and given assistance so they can return to school and their communities. It is expected that by 2 August another 17 child soldiers are expected to be released and UNICEF will assist with their reintegration into the community. An estimated 2,000 children have been identified as eventually participating in the initiative.
The New Zealand Government, through NZAID, is a strong supporter of UNICEF’s work. New Zealand’s contribution of NZ$6 million in the 2008/09 financial year provided funding for UNICEF’s core work.
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