Riya Mala 
[Photo: FILE]
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has allocated $785,000 to ADRA Fiji to strengthen anticipatory action efforts aimed at reducing the impacts of tropical cyclones and flooding before disasters strike.
The funding, provided through OCHA’s Regional Humanitarian Pooled Fund for Asia and the Pacific, will support anticipatory action activities under Fiji’s National Framework for Tropical Cyclones.
Speaking during the launch of the REEMAA project, OCHA Head of the Coordination Unit for the Pacific Islands, Katalaine Duaibe, says the funding is designed to enable action ahead of crises rather than responding after disasters occur.
Duaibe adds that the allocation is not just about providing resources, but also about strengthening systems, partnerships, and capacities so that early action becomes a normal part of humanitarian response.
“Fiji has consistently demonstrated leadership in disaster risk management and climate action, both regionally and globally. The National Framework for Tropical Cyclones, now revised for the 2025–2027 cyclone season, reflects that leadership. Importantly, this framework includes rainfall triggers alongside cyclone wind triggers. This is a critical advancement.”
She adds the initiative will help operationalize disaster triggers, strengthen coordination, prepare systems for early action, and ensure assistance, particularly cash-based support, can reach vulnerable communities quickly.
Duaibe says that anticipatory action requires close collaboration between government agencies, non-government organizations, UN agencies, donors, and technical partners to ensure communities are better prepared and less affected when disasters occur.
