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UN coordinator in Tonga: ‘Resources on the ground are not enough’

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As news coverage of the eruption and tsunami that hit Tonga starts to fade away, the United Nations Coordination Specialist in the country has a message to the outside world: Tonga’s people are going to need sustained support responding to a disaster of this scale.

“The resources that we have in the ground are not enough”, Sione Hufanga explained, in an interview on Saturday morning local time, with UN News. “We ought to always look at the situation and ask, have we done enough, for this very small country, isolated in the Pacific islands?”

The underwater volcano eruption of a week ago, is believed to be the largest volcanic event to occur for 30 years.

The huge, 20 km high mushroom cloud of smoke and ash, and the tsunami that followed, affected 84,000 people, more than 80 per cent of the population of the South Pacific country.

In the last few days, the Kingdom has started receiving ships with humanitarian aid, and, with the runway now cleared of thick volcanic ash, the international airport is now open to flights with assistance.

Despite the positive signs of recovery, Mr. Hufanga warns that “the people of Tonga are still overwhelmed with the magnitude of the disaster.”

Only three people – so far – have lost their lives, but the specialist believes that number provides a somewhat misleading sense of security.

Sometimes you can feel that it’s not as bad as it is, based on the fatalities, but that number represents the resilience of the Tongan community in such a disaster”, he said.

Immediate needs

Speaking by cellphone, with most communications with the outside world still suspended, he explained that “most of the focus now is to serve the people who have been severely affected and need help with their essential needs in the next few days.”

The UN is working with the Government to finalize a needs assessment, that should be completed next week and will guide the immediate response and relief efforts.

“Water, sanitation, hygiene, schools, are among the things that will allow life to return to normal as soon as possible, but there is still a lot of ash that needs to be removed from those premises”, Mr. Hufanga informed.

UN agencies are in the field distributing dignity kits to the most affected people, food support, and trying to restart the agricultural sector.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is working with the Minister of Health providing medical teams to Ha’apai, one of the most affected islands, and other agencies, like the World Food Programme (WFP), are cooperating to help restore communication services.

Long-term impacts

For the UN specialist, the complete magnitude of the problems is still unknown. He points to damages to the agricultural sector or the marine resources as examples.

Around 60 to 70 per cent of livestock-rearing households have seen their animals perish, grazing land damaged, or water supplies contaminated. And, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the agricultural sector represents over 65 per cent of the country exports.

Fisheries have been significantly affected as well. The Government has advised against fishing amidst the ongoing contamination, or consuming fish.

“These are mid to long-term impacts that are yet to be understood”, Mr. Hufanga said.

Because of this, the specialist believes Tongans might have to rely on imported food for some time, something they have “never experienced before”

© UNICEF/Sarah Shotunde
Trucks are ready to leave Brisbane bringing aid and emergency supplies for Tonga Islands.

Source: http://www.news.un.org

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Land Act Bill amended and proposed to parliament

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Parliamentarian Moosa Siraj has introduced a bill proposing amendments to the Maldivian Land Act, incorporating modern modifications. The bill initiated discussions among parliament members after its proposal by Siraj.

The proposed bill outlines regulations for determining land types, allocation for different purposes, and distribution to ministries and individuals. It stipulates that national and public land policies will be formulated by the president with the advice and recommendations of parliament members.

Key provisions of the bill include the appointment of a Registrar of Land by the Ministry of Housing, Land, and Urban Development, establishment of a Land and Survey Authority, and appointment of a Surveyor General.

Regarding land distribution, the bill allocates land for ministries, freeholding, and leasing, specifying permissible uses such as residential, economic, industrial, social, environmental, and governmental activities. It addresses various aspects including land rights, plot allocation, leasing, mortgage, sale, transfer by inheritance, ownership, and rights transfer.

Highlighting the outdated nature of the current Land Act from 2002, Moosa Siraj emphasised the need for modern amendments to address contemporary challenges. He stressed the inclusion of provisions for land surveys and valuation policies to mitigate issues related to fluctuating land values.

Siraj urged fellow parliament members to support the bill, citing its importance. However, members of the opposition have expressed reservations, advocating against its passage.

Source(s): PsmNews

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Government prepares to offer Hiyaavahi Finance Scheme

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The Ministry of Housing, Land, and Urban Development has signed an agreement with the Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) to offer low-interest loans for housing construction, in line with President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s commitment. Minister Ali Haidar Ahmed and the new Managing Director of HDFC, Ahmed Zeenad, signed the agreement of the venture.

This initiative, named the “Hiyaavehi Finance Scheme,” aims to provide financial support for the construction of individual homes. Minister Ali Haidar provided an overview of the scheme, highlighting President Dr. Muizzu’s pledge to offer low-interest loans. He outlined two categories for loan distribution, with one targeting individuals in Male’ City and other areas designated by President for development as urban centres and another for residents of other islands or regions.

Minister Haidar explained that individuals owning land in Male’ City and urban centers can receive loans of up to USD 195 thousand, with a repayment period of 25 years. Meanwhile, those in other areas are eligible for loans of USD 65 thousand under the same repayment terms.

He emphasised the enhancements made to the loan schemes compared to the previous administration, noting an increase in the maximum loan amount from USD 45 thousand to USD 65 thousand, a reduction in the interest rate from 6% to 5%, and an extension of the repayment period from 20 to 25 years.

The Minister announced that priority would be given to individuals with land plots in urban centers and areas outside Male’ City for loan disbursement. Loan applications will soon be open for residents of urban centers, accessible through the Ministry of Housing’s portal. After a screening process conducted by HDFC, eligible applicants will receive the loans.

President Dr. Muizzu’s initiative to provide loans to landowners aims to alleviate financial barriers to home construction, offering support to individuals in need.

Source(s): PsmNews

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Persecution of opposition leaders marks return to cycle of tyranny: Solih

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The move to summon opposition leaders to the police on unfounded charges marks a return to a bitter cycle of tyranny, says former Maldivian president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

Solih, a special advisor at the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), made the remark in a post on X on Wednesday night. His comment comes after the police summoned MDP’s chairperson Fayyaz Ismail for questioning in a corruption investigation.

Earlier on Wednesday, Fayyaz shared the summons he received from the police asking him to present himself for questioning regarding an ongoing investigation into a corruption case.

According to the summons, Fayyaz is suspected of financial gain from transactions involving embezzlement of Road Development Corporation (RDC)’s funds.

Fayyaz denied the case against him, and described it as “the beginning of a cycle of baseless political allegations.”

Retweeting his post, Solih expressed concern over the situation.

“The start of summoning opposition leaders to the police headquarters without any basis revives the bitter cycle of tyranny and infringement of the constitution we experienced before,” he wrote. “You can serve the people without being tyrannical.”

The former president had previously accused President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu of harboring a spirit of political retaliation.

The police previously said it was investigating a case involving the transfer of RDC’s funds to the bank accounts of the companies owned by top government officials as well as their personal accounts.

Source(s): sun.mv

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