Cyclone Winston, which hit Fiji over the weekend, was the most powerful storm on record in the Southern Hemisphere. YachtAidGlobal is therefore organizing relief efforts and matching donations dollar for dollar.
Cyclone Winston hit Fiji, an archipelago roughly the size of New Jersey, on Saturday evening local time. The image below was captured by a NASA satellite on February 19, showing a 15-nautical-mile wide eye. When Cyclone Winston made landfall, winds hit 184 mph (296 kph), making it a category 5 cyclone. This broke a record set in 2002 and tied in 2006. (That record: 178 mph, or about 287 kph.) Twenty-nine people thus far are confirmed dead. More than 1,200 people are in evacuation centers across Fiji, according to the disaster management ministry. Due to fallen trees and other debris from widespread damage, a nationwide curfew is in effect.
All of this is why YachtAid Global is coordinating monetary and supply aid delivery. The non-profit organization, established in 2006, mobilizes aid relief for coastal communities worldwide. It does so primarily via yachts and megayachts that deliver much-needed goods directly to aid workers and affected citizens. You may recall that the yachts Umbra and Dragonfly, thanks to YachtAid Global, helped Vanuatu following Cyclone Pam last year. In fact, in some areas, the yachts were the first responders.
For Cyclone Winston, YachtAid Global is matching monetary donations up to $3,000. Visit the YachtAid Global donations page, and enter FIJI when prompted for the project for which the donation is intended.
YachtAid Global is additionally requesting supplies be donated by yachts and megayachts in Australia and New Zealand. Drop-off points are in Cairns, Brisbane, and Auckland. Email Dhardra Blake if you are able to assist. Blake is tracking which items are of most need. All supplies will be documented along with your name. Those of you willing to have your yacht or megayacht help deliver supplies, email Capt. Mark Drewelow, the founder of YachtAid Global.
The non-profit is ensuring all supplies are being handled and delivered through proper channels. Donation protocol documents are available from both Blake and Drewelow. YachtAid Global is additionally working with non-government organizations on the ground in Fiji. These include Sea Mercy, which enlists vessels to serve as floating health clinics in remote islands in the South Pacific. Furthermore, the non-profit Lift is providing assistance as well. Lift provides access to aircraft and other transportation to take responders and aid to disaster sites. YachtAid Global has previously collaborated with both Sea Mercy and Lift.
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