ABC Aftermath of Solomon Islands flash flooding as locals inspect the damage and house that was carried downstream along lower Koa Hill into China Town.

Emergency officials in Solomon Islands are working hard to provide food and shelter for thousands of flood victims, with damage to infrastructure hampering response efforts.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has confirmed 17 dead in the disaster, with the toll expected to rise.

Flash flooding has swept away entire residential districts and at least 23 people are missing.

OCHA has estimated that 12,000 people have been affected by the flooding in the capital, Honiara, and 37,000 affected in Guadalcanal Province.

Several days of heavy rain caused the Mataniko River to burst its banks, washing people and buildings out to sea.

Solomon Islands was also hit by a magnitude 6.0 earthquake late on Friday night.

The National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) says there are no immediate reports of damage from the quake within Honiara, however it says communications with other parts of the country are poor and the situation is unclear.

Graham Kenna from Save the Children in Solomon Islands says the weather is clearing, but the risk of a cyclone developing remains.

"We have been able to get further afield from Honiara city to do some assessments from the outlying areas," he said.

Read the original post:

Infrastructure damage hampers relief efforts in flood-hit Solomon Islands, thousands of people in need