Ardern pledges aid for cyclone victims
The New Zealand Government is sending a military plane to help cyclone-battered Tonga.
The Pacific nation was besieged by the category 4 tropical cyclone on Monday night, in what has been called the worst storm to hit that country in 60 years, with gusts of up to 278kmh.
The Government has pledged an initial $750,000 in aid but Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern emphasised yesterday that this was just simply an initial contribution and New Zealand was there to help, as it had historically.
A NZ P-3K2 Orion surveillance plane was being sent last night to assess the full extent of the damage, while a C130 Hercules was loaded with emergency supplies to leave for Tonga from Auckland.
‘‘There are just over 90 New Zealanders in Tonga right now. Our Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff on the ground have advised they will be visiting major hotels this morning to try to locate and ensure the safety of all of those New Zealanders as well,’’ Ardern said.
‘‘What we want to do is to make sure we are there supporting Tonga to provide any relief they might need in the short term but also [to ascertain] what role we might need to play in the long term.’’
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said the $750,000 was a starting figure. ‘‘This is an initial contribution that will enable us to respond quickly to requests from the government of Tonga to meet immediate needs, such as emergency shelter, water and sanitation. We stand ready to provide additional support as the extent of the damage becomes clear.
‘‘We will also be responding to requests for assistance from New Zealanders in Tonga.
‘‘Given the force of this cyclone, all signs point to a lengthy cleanup effort and our thoughts are with the government and people of Tonga as they come to terms with the scale of this disaster,’’ he said.
New Zealand deployed a huge taskforce to help clean up after Cyclone Winston in 2016, with two ships, six aircraft and almost 500 personnel being sent to the affected Pacific nations.
‘‘We see ourselves as having a huge responsibility here. New Zealand has in these situations in the past, for us it’s just a matter of making sure we meet the need,’’ Ardern told Radio New Zealand.
She said there was also pre-positioned supplies already on the ground that aid groups could distribute immediately.
Acting Tongan Prime Minister Semisi Sik declared a state of emergency on Monday as Gita approached.
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