VIDEO. Meeting with the inhabitants of Tiga, deprived of public transport for two months – New Caledonia the 1st

The Sodil (Loyalty Islands company) catamaran, which provided the maritime link between Lifou and Tiga, has been at the dock for more than a year. Twice a week it could transport up to 80 people and two tons of cargo. Since then, the Lifou town hall has chartered barges several times to supply the 50 inhabitants of the small island. In between, they could count on Air Loyauté rotations for troubleshooting. But the company’s aircraft, which can only carry a limited weight, have not returned to Tiga since mid-October.

“The problem of access does not allow us to have what we want in terms of food. We live day by day, impossible to know if tomorrow we will have food”, indicates Kaku Dokunengo. Like all the other residents, he is concerned about the difficulties in supplying the only shop in the village. They accentuate the feeling of isolation. The feeling of being left to your own devices. “We don’t care from U.S”, says a resident.

At the dispensary, Noun N’Dangnbaï, a nurse, is also worried. “It used to take a week to receive medication orders. Now, it takes at least two weeks to receive it in part. This makes continuity of care difficult to ensure, knowing that any interruption in treatment can lead to complications.”, he explains.

For him, the absence of regular maritime and air links “penalizes the health of the people of Tiga”, forced to postpone their medical appointments with specialists in Nouméa. Unless you are able to make a two-hour trip by fishing boat to Lifou and then take the plane.

Because a few fishermen ensure the crossing from Wé to help the population. “We bring them a lot of shopping. Afterwards, it’s not the Red Cross, I get paid but I see that it helps them out well”, indicates Alex Rigourd. The reception given to him confirms this.

It is also the fishermen, who, from December 12, will transport the foodstuffs collected during the next resupply operation coordinated by the Lifou town hall. From Tuesday, December 5 to Friday, December 8, at noon, residents of Nouméa will be able to drop off their packages for Tiga at the islands’ shipping company. Two containers have been reserved, one for dry products and one refrigerated. They will leave for Lifou between December 11 and 12, where the small boats will take over until Wednesday December 20.

Reminder: the names of the sender and recipient, in Tiga, must be indicated on all packages. Food must be carefully packaged. And fresh produce placed in coolers.