NFPs Assist in Cyclone Yasi Aftermath

National relief agencies and supporting Not for Profits have turned their attention and resources towards Northern Queensland in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Yasi.

Cyclone Yasi approaches the North Queensland coast.  Flickr Image: Some rights reserved by NASA Goddard Photo and Video

The Salvation Army says while it believes its prayers have been answered and the cyclone has not taken any lives, there is still a lot of work to be done for those in the worst affected areas.

Salvos Captain Meaghan Gallagher says the Salvation Army has itself been affected by evacuations across North Queensland, evacuating 47 clients from its Cairns homeless facility, Centennial Lodge, to a nearby primary school due to the cyclone.

As always, The Salvation Army says it is ready to respond in the aftermath of cyclone Yasi with emergency services teams currently on stand-by to assist wherever there is need.

Red Cross teams have moved into Tully and Innisfail to set up permanent evacuation centres for those who have been made homeless by the cyclone.

Capt Gallagher says Salvo teams are waiting to get into the worst affected areas of Mission Beach, Tully, Cardwell and Innisfail.

Currently, she says their first objective is to feed and comfort those people who have had to leave their homes.

The Salvos are still to decide whether to bring in additional help from their centres in the southern states.

The Salvos are working with many agencies within the emergency management disaster plan sourcing supplies of food and other necessities.

Emergency response organisation, Save the Children says its emergency teams are on standby to deploy their “Child Friendly Space” workers into north Queensland as soon as possible.

Save the Children’s Child-Friendly-Spaces Program provides support to children and families in evacuation centres and other temporary locations following a disaster.

Save the Children’s Director of Emergency Response Mike Penrose says a Child-Friendly Space is a special area where children can play, socialise, and begin to recover during emergencies.

Penrose says Child Friendly Spaces protect children from harm and provide them with a sense of normality and community when their lives are disrupted by disasters. At the same time, Child-Friendly Spaces enable parents to have time to register for emergency assistance and start to re-establish their lives.

With over 90 years of experience in emergency response, including the 2010 Pakistan floods, Save the Children Australia’s response to Cyclone Yasi is with the Australian Red Cross and the State Evacuation Centres.