Gov’t acknowledges FFA for disaster aerial surveillance assistance

Honiara, Solomon Islands – The National Government, through the National Disaster Council (NDC), acknowledges the enormous support from the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) for providing aerial surveillance on the impacted provinces following tropical cyclone Maila last week.

Following a request from the National Disaster Council, FFA offered its surveillance aircraft including aircrew to conduct an aerial surveillance flight starting on Monday, 13 April and continuing throughout the week.

The flights were vital to gather photographic imagery to verify Initial Situation Overview (ISO) reports from Provincial Emergency Operations Centers (PEOCs) and other sources of information received from affected Provinces.

The initial flight on Monday this week covered the Shortland Islands group in the Western Province, followed by a second flight on Tuesday covering Isabel and Choiseul Provinces.

Chair of the National Disaster Council, David Hiba Hiriasia, said the flights are critical to provide information on the scale of the impacts of cyclone Maila on affected provinces and communities.

“I, on behalf of the National Government, expressed sincere gratitude to the FFA for the timely and critical assistance in our emergency response efforts,” Hiriasia said, adding, “that such information is vital for planning and decision making by responsible authorities”.

Surveillance flights will continue throughout the week to other affected provinces and communities.

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An aerial view of a village in Isabel Province

An aerial view of the Buala, Isabel Province

The surveillance aircraft flies over South Choiseul on Tuesday 14 April

The surveillance aircraft flies over a the coastlines of Maringe in Isabel Province

The surveillance aircraft flies over seaweed farms in Wagina, South Choiseul