Cyclone Gabrielle: Red Cross grants $1 million to Hawke’s Bay Disaster Relief Trust

New Zealand Disaster Fund regional community projects manager for Tairawhiti and Wairoa, Phil Parker, visits a yellow-stickered home in Wairoa. Photo / Supplied

Nearly two months on from Cyclone Gabrielle, $1 million from the Red Cross New Zealand Disaster Fund will be allocated to the Hawke’s Bay Disaster Relief Trust. The trust’s fund supports individuals, community groups and marae who may have suffered financial loss as a result of the cyclone.

Allocation of this funding, as well as three smaller grants, brings the total amount of funds committed from the disaster fund to $3.18 million.

It was activated in February, and trustees comprise mayors of the four Hawke’s Bay councils, as well as the chairwoman of the regional council.

Since March 8, it has allocated a total of $1.9 million across 3263 applications, helping flood-affected people in Hawke’s Bay replace home contents, clothes and furnishings. It has also been used to help with small payments to compensate for lost income.

Red Cross said the grant from the New Zealand Disaster Fund would allow the trust to continue providing support to those who had been displaced as a result of properties being uninhabitable. The trust’s fund would also be used to help with the removal of waste from properties, as well as enabling health and psychosocial support activities to be delivered.

“The contribution to the trust will help support costs that are not covered by insurances or other agencies,” a statement says.

“We have worked hard to understand the situation on the ground, listening to councils’ leaders, emergency management group managers, iwi and hapū and also community leaders,” said New Zealand Red Cross secretary-general Sarah Stuart-Black.

“I know communities are hurting and that many people are struggling to process what has happened and understand what the future holds for themselves and their families.”

Hawke’s Bay Disaster Relief Fund and regional council chairwoman Hinewai Ormsby said HBRC was “humbled and extremely grateful” to the Red Cross for its donation to the fund.

She said it would provide much-needed support to Hawke’s Bay communities that were affected by the flooding.

“Without the support of Red Cross and other generous donors, we would not be able to provide vital assistance to help people get back on their feet.”

Red Cross recently launched its partnership grant application process and allocated $1.1m to the Wairoa District Council-led Liveable Homes Fund.