Infection as well as food and water shortages are among the major concerns facing relief agencies working in the tsunami-devastated Solomon Islands, Caritas says.Aid workers are warning of a humanitarian crisis in the earthquake and tsunami-shattered Solomon Islands, where food and medicine are in short supply for thousands of people left homeless.
As aid began to trickle into the western Solomons provinces hardest hit by Monday's twin catastrophe, Australia's Council for International Development said first reports from aid teams in the impoverished region were alarming.
"It's quite devastating and things are looking bad. You started with poor infrastructure already and people there are very dependent on aid," the council's Pacific coordinator Neva Wendt told Reuters.
Australian aid agency Caritas said infection would set in quickly among those injured, while drinking water supplies posed an immediate problem."This is the tropics and infection will set in immediately. We are concerned about our supply of antibiotics for some of the injuries and anti-malarials for people who are staying outside," Caritas spokeswoman Liz Stone told Australian radio.
"Many water tanks have been damaged, and we also have a problem with food supplies. The gardens have been inundated, so there is a problem with fresh food."Stone said shops had also been hit by the wave, with stocks of dry food destroyed.
A Caritas Australia statement quoted Honiara Archbishop Adrian Smith as saying that "the aftershocks of the earthquakes have been continuous throughout yesterday and today".
According to Archbishop Smith, "people have been forced to evacuate Taro Island to Moli.
"The island of Simbo with its active volcano has suffered a lot," the archbishop said."The people there were caught between their constantly active volcano and then the waves and are afraid to move to higher ground. There seems to have been a lot of deaths in the Simbo area. The Nila health clinic has also been badly damaged."
"I hope tomorrow will bring good news, telling you the waters have subsided and the cleaning up is taking place"."I hope there will be relief available to all who have suffered so much," he added.
Caritas Australia head of programs, Jamie Isbister said that "the immediate need is for food, water and medical supplies as all are in short supply."Emergency housing will be the next phase and then water and sanitation will be high priorities," Isbister said.
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