Results for Pacific Islands

The Republic of Fiji has made a generous donation of $50,000 FJD ($53,000 Pa’anga) to assist Tonga in its post-cyclone recovery.

Ten representatives from ten Pacific Island countries, including Tonga, are working with experts to improve data collection and planning to improve the lives of the most vulnerable families and children, at a workshop this week, 19-27 March.

Discussions around the overall health and safety of Pacific Islands impacted by extreme weather events induced by climate change were discussed at a World Health Organization (WHO) meeting last week over two days on 15 and 16 March in Suva, Fiji.

The European Commission today announced that it will be contributing €300 000 ($790,860 Pa’anga) in humanitarian funding to assist Tongans in their recovery from Cyclone Gita. The EU declared that the aid would focus on “…addressing the most pressing needs of the affected families through the provision of emergency shelter, access to safe drinking water, and food and livelihood assistance.”

Rt. Hon Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand, who was in Nuku’alofa today, has committed $7 million dollars to assist schools to fix roofs that were damaged by Tropical Cyclone Gita last month.

HM. King Tupou VI was greeted by China’s President HE. Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday 1 March at China’s political hub – the Great Hall of the People – in Beijing, China. The state visit marks the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Tonga and the People’s Republic of China.

The Prime Minister of Fiji, Rear Admiral (Ret.), Hon. Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama officially opened the 20th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (20CCEM) on 20 February at the Sheraton Resort, Nadi, Fiji, attended by the Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Rgt. Hon. Patricia Scotland and Helen Clarke.

The Chinese government and Embassy in Tonga has pledged over USD$600,000 for cyclone relief in Tonga.

UNICEF is calling for urgent action to protect children from a host of risks and harms online around the world including the Pacific, as part of its Safer Internet Day message this week. Tonga is playing its part with cyber safety programmes being delivered in the kingdom in partnership with UNICEF, who reports that that one in three internet users worldwide is a child.