By RODRICK DESURI 

Auki 

Heavy rains has washed away food gardens of the Heo and Ohio community settlements along Heo in West Are’are, Malaita Province. 

This was confirmed to Island Sun by Saverio Sinah from Hauhui yesterday afternoon. 

Mr Sinah said the two community settlements have called for an urgent assessment of their food gardens and support from the disaster office in Auki and the ministry responsible in Honiara. 

He said their gardens were washed away by flood on Friday night, which forced the affected communities to survive on unripe potatoes, cassavas and bananas which were not yet ready for harvest. 

“Today marks four days since our gardens were washed away. Our people from these two affected communities are forced to harvest and survive on unripe potatoes, cassavas, and bananas,” he said. 

He added that the situation could worsen if an assessment is not conducted and the responsible authorities fail to assist them.

He appeals to the disaster office in Auki to quickly conduct an assessment of their gardens, as this is the only way to verify the damage caused by flooding.

Meanwhile, Pearson Simi from the Disaster Office in Auki said he will verify the report before sending an assessment team to Heo to evaluate the food gardens.

He said that a few reports have been received over the weekend, and relief support was sent to them yesterday.

“So far, we have been receiving a few reports from communities surrounding Auki. Also, Abalolo is the first community to which we sent non-food items,” he said.

“All these non-food items were donated by the Solomon Islands Red Cross here in Auki.”