Research Reveals Financial Impact on Businesses from TC Yasa was Exacerbated by Lack of Insurance
Suva, Fiji, July 8, 2021- The financial impact on more than 1,500 Fijian businesses, which were among the hardest hit by Tropical Cyclone (TC) Yasa, has been estimated at FJD$25 million, while only a fraction were insured against the disaster, new research has revealed.
A survey by the Ministry of Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Transport (MCTTT) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of 1,554 Fijian businesses showed that while 92 percent were affected by the cyclone when it struck in December 2020, only one percent had cyclone insurance. Tropical Cyclone Yasa - a Category 5 - was the strongest tropical cyclone in the South Pacific since Winston in 2016.