In February 2016, Tropical Cyclone (TC) Winston developed in the South Pacific Basin into a category 5 cyclone which struck Fiji on 20 February killing 44 people and leaving a trail of destruction across large parts of the island. The cyclone was the most powerful storm on record in the Southern Hemisphere.
Following the disaster, the Government of Fiji (GoF) completed a comprehensive Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) with support from the World Bank (WB), the European Union (EU), United Nations (UN), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and other development partners. This PDNA, undertaken with the support of the ACP-EU NDRR Program, assessed the damages and impact following the cyclone. The report highlighted that the damage to the housing and agriculture sectors was severe, with also significant damage to public buildings and to transport, electricity and communications infrastructure.