Six-months after Cyclone Gabrielle Red Cross has spent more than $20 million of the NZ Disaster Fund

Six months on from Cyclone Gabrielle, New Zealand Red Cross spent more than $20 million of the $27 million New Zealand Disaster Fund.

The fund supports communities and people whose homes and livelihoods were damaged during the devastating weather events earlier this year.

This weekend marks half a year since Cyclone Gabrielle cut a destructive path through much of the North Island, barely three weeks after the damaging Auckland anniversary weekend flooding in Tāmaki Makaurau.

Within days, Red Cross said its people were providing shelter, support and supplies, but more was needed.

It launched a fundraising appeal, and the public and businesses were quick to respond and support the thousands impacted.

Eventually more than 54,000 people and hundreds of businesses donated over $27 million.

“The past six months have been an incredibly difficult time for so many people and we’re so pleased to have been able to give a hand to help,” New Zealand Red Cross secretary general Sarah Stuart-Black said.

“Thousands of people were affected by these disasters and we had to think very hard about how to best stretch the fund to help as many in need as possible.”

While Red Cross was on the ground in the days following the cyclone and severe weather events, Stuart-Black said the focus soon turned to providing grants to community organisations that had quickly mobilised.

“We’ve distributed more than $14 million in grants to a range of organisations.”

She said those groups helped in many ways, from organising caravan accommodation to cleaning up homes, as well as counselling services and providing baby supplies.

A further $5.5 million had been committed to the Red Cross Home Bundles initiative, which was helping people with limited means to replace damaged furniture and other basic household items.

General manager emergency management and international Sean Stewart said thousands of people were still waiting to return to their homes across the upper North Island.

Many of those people would struggle to replace what they’ve lost, he said.

“Our Home Bundles programme will provide households in need with new basic furniture, whiteware and other goods, so we can at least take this one worry off their list.”

The fund also supported Psychological First Aid training for more than 600 people in Hawke’s Bay, Tairāwhiti, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland and Northland.

Stewart said these sessions were designed to equip people to recognise distress and provide emotional and practical support.

The Disaster Fund was now closed to new donations, with Red Cross focused on spending the rest of the funds through the Home Bundles programme and investing in disaster preparedness.

The entire fund would be committed by the one-year anniversary of the cyclone in February.

“We’re incredibly grateful to all the people, businesses and community organisations who gave so generously to the fund, and to our own Red Cross people who have given thousands of hours to help.

“It takes a long time to recover from a disaster, and we’re pleased we have been able to help support people during these long and difficult months.”

AStuff fundraising campaign for those affected by the cyclone raised more than $4 million, with proceeds going to Red Cross New Zealand’s disaster fund and mayoral relief funds.