New Zealand to give 100,000 NZ dollars for Fiji flood relief

WELLINGTON. January 12. KAZINFORM New Zealand will provide 100,000 NZ dollars (58,500 U.S. dollars) of aid to Fiji to assist relief efforts following major flooding in western parts of Fiji, Foreign Minister Murray McCully announced on Monday.

Heavy rain and strong winds have causing extensive flooding in recent days. A state of emergency has been declared in western Fiji, with the worst affected areas being Nadi, Sigatoka, and Ba. "Four deaths have been confirmed and two Fijian teenagers are missing. To date floods have forced over 2,300 people to move to evacuation centers, and more bad weather is predicted when a second tropical depression reaches Fiji later this week," he said in a statement. "The funding announced today will initially be made available to Fiji Red Cross. Further allocations will be made according to the needs of relief agencies who are working with communities affected by the flooding," he added. "New Zealand's assistance will help Fiji Red Cross replenish emergency stocks such as water containers, tarpaulins, and medical supplies. This will help ensure they are able to continue to help people if further bad weather hits Fiji as forecast." McCully said. Hundreds of New Zealanders were among tourists stranded by flooding in Nadi and more severe rainstorms are expected in coming days, Kazinform refers to Xinhua. Since the storm hit last week, power and telephone lines have been cut, drinking water is limited and hundreds of holiday-makers have been left stranded. The main towns of Nadi, Rakiraki and Ba were swamped after being pelted by more than 200 mm of rain since Friday.