Early Australian Assistance Arrives Aboard C-130 Aircraft

17 March 2010

The Australian Defence Force C-130 aircraft which arrives at Nausori Airport this evening will be carrying 8 tonnes of emergency relief supplies in response to an official request for assistance from the Fiji interim government.

In addition to the 960 tarpaulins, the relief supplies will include just over two-thousand 10-litre water containers and 680,000 water purification tablets.

The supplies will be offloaded at Nausori Airport for transportation to the Government Stores in Walu Bay before being shipped to islands in the Eastern Division.

The C-130 aircraft will also be used tomorrow for aerial surveillance missions over the Lomaiviti and Lau groups of islands, carrying representatives from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NDMO), the Commissioner Eastern’s office, the Fiji Red Cross and representatives of UN, and the Australian and New Zealand high commissions.

As announced earlier today by Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Stephen Smith, Australia will provide up to $1 million in initial emergency humanitarian assistance to help the people of Fiji recover from the devastation and destruction caused by Tropical Cyclone Tomas.

This will include funding to the NDMO to enable it to charter transport such as helicopters and boats to deliver much needed relief supplies to remote communities.

The Fiji Red Cross will receive funding to distribute emergency supplies already in storage in Fiji and enable the local purchase of other essential supplies.

ENDS