Additional emergency supplies are being sent to hurricane-ravaged Samoa and
Fiji.
An RNZAF C-130 Hercules landed in the Samoan capital Apia on Friday carrying
humanitarian supplies and diesel generators to support the relief and recovery
effort, Foreign Minister Murray McCully says.
The supplies were sent at the request of the Samoan government.
"There is an urgent need for generators to ensure the Samoa Water Authority
can pump and transport water to affected communities," Mr McCully said.
On Friday afternoon a commercial flight to Nadi will take 20 generators, 300
tarps, 10 chainsaws and 150 shovels to Fiji.
Mr McCully announced on Wednesday New Zealand was giving Samoa and Fiji an
additional $2 million each to help with the clean-up after Cyclone Evan ripped
through the Pacific nations, causing widespread destruction.
The government had already contributed $600,000 to Samoa and $400,000 to
Fiji.
A state of natural disaster has been declared in the western and northern
divisions of Fiji, expected to be in place for a fortnight.
Thousands of people took refuge in evacuation centres as the cyclone pounded
northern parts of Fiji for more than 12 hours on Monday, causing flooding and
extensive damage.
Roads were closed and power and water supplies were cut.
No fatalities were reported.
A search for 10 fishermen missing from four fishing boats after the cyclone
struck Samoa late last week was called off on Tuesday morning.
Four people were known to have died in the cyclone, and about 5000 people had
been displaced in Samoa.
NZN