Govt to reveal El Niño response on Friday

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka will make a national announcement on the El Niño drought on Friday, following discussions at Cabinet yesterday, says Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica.

He said the Office of the Prime Minister would also issue a formal statement.

Asked about the Government’s plan, with the drought expected to affect Fiji for another four months into next year, Mr Kamikamica said details would be announced “during the Honourable Prime Minister’s announcement”.

Mr Rabuka did not attend the Cabinet meeting at his office but arrived after it had ended.

“That will go out depending on what the Cabinet decided today,” Mr Rabuka said.

Agriculture Minister Tomasi Tunabuna said he briefed Cabinet on the agriculture sector and that his ministry remained in close contact with its field staff.

“Every week they send in the situation report. And based on that, we roll out more packages and strategies,” Mr Tunabuna said.

“We have our mechanisms. It’s always been part of our disaster management plans.”

He declined to comment on the Government’s response ahead of Friday’s announcement. It remains unclear whether Cabinet has decided to declare a national emergency.

Public Works Minister Ro Filipe Tuisawau told this masthead last week that the Government was working on one. He told Parliament that 19 of the Water Authority of Fiji’s 44 water sources were at critical levels as of November 1.

About 24,600 people were on intermittent water supply or relying on water carting. The Fiji Meteorological Service says El Niño conditions are likely to continue into 2027.