The Australian Defence Force has worked with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to deliver almost 100 pallets of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) stores to Fiji.
The aid stores included kitchen kits, bed nets, hygiene kits, tool kits, sleeping equipment and blankets, and were transported by a No. 36 Squadron C-17A Globemaster from RAAF Base Amberley.
The stores have been delivered to the Blackrock Peacekeeping and HADR Camp in Fiji, which offers temporary accommodation for Fijians requiring disaster relief and assistance.
Blackrock Camp opened in March 2022 and is one of several major infrastructure projects the ADF has helped deliver.
Blackrock Camp has been transformed into a hub to suit Fiji’s security and military training requirements, and will enhance Fiji’s domestic capacity to respond to natural disasters and other humanitarian crises.
Department representative and emergency response team lead Shaun Thomas said the stores will be available in Fiji for possible future disasters.
“The stores that we’re delivering today will be of great benefit to the people of Fiji,” Mr Thomas said.
“Unfortunately, this is an area that suffers from natural disasters – such as cyclones – every year, so these stores will be immensely helpful to provide a greater and faster response.
“The RAAF has been requested to assist with this delivery as they provide the capability to move large volumes of stores efficiently and effectively.”
Mr Thomas said if the stores were transferred through commercial means the process would be much slower and require multiple flights to deliver the same load.
“Through our partnership with the ADF, we can respond with wheels up within two hours of knowing a disaster has happened,” Mr Thomas said.
