Hurricane Relief Given To Islands

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30979, 8 February 1966, Page 1

Hurricane Relief Given To Islands

CV«w Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, February 7. The Government will make an immediate gift of £lO,OOO for the relief of hurricane victims in Western Samoa.

Announcing the decision tonight, the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) said the gift would provide “tangible support” for the national appeal, which the New Zealand Red Cross was making on behalf of Western Samoa and the Tokelau Islands, which soon would be receiving a first shipment of relief supplies.

The present gift will be applied, in consultation with the Government of Western Samoa, to whatever needs seem most urgent in that country. Mr Holyoake said that while taking this immediate action, the Government was still focusing its main attention on the longer term problems caused by the hurricane.

He said it already seemed clear that, as most of this season’s crops had been ruined, a very serious food shortage would develop in Western Samoa in the next few weeks.

The need to import large quantities of food would continue throughout 1966. Apart from this problem, there was the need to restore essential services, to repair schools and public buildings, and to provide financial aid to get Western Samoa’s primary industries back into production as quickly as possible, said Mr Holyoake. Mr Holyoake said the reports from Western Samoa were necessarily still very incomplete. But each day was bringing new information and it was hoped that a full assess-

ment could be made during this week. Canned Food Forty tons of canned food; collected by the Auckland Red Cross Society will leave

Auckland tomorrow in the Tofua.

The ship is expected to arrive at Apia on February 17. The society has another 30 tons of canned food on hand waiting for shipping arrangements to be made. The secretary of the Auckland centre of the Red Cross (Dr. W. Dale) is busy organising the collection and shipment of the 65.000 tons of canned meat, fish, flour and rice required to help the islanders over the prolonged shortage of food they face. Talks On Aid C.0.R.5.0. will on Wednesday discuss a proposal to give £lOOO tc the Prime Minister’s relief fund. The national secretary (the Rev. H. C. Dixon) said the organisation was mainly concerned with agricultural relief. The Red Cross Society’s national commissioner, Mr C. F. A. McLennan, said cables had been sent to Australia and the League of Red Cross Societies in Geneva asking for additional aid. Mr McLennan said the initial response to the society’s hurricane relief fund had been quite good but further donations were urgently required. Supplies Mown Food supplies on the Tokelau Islands were heavily, hit by the hurricane, accord-| ing to the latest reports'

received today by the Minister of Island Territories (Mr Hanan). Food and medical supplies for the islanders were flown in today from Fiji by Sunderland aircraft.

On the flight were the Tokelau Island Administrator (Mr O. P. Gabites) and the District Officer for the Tokelaus (Mr H. L. Webber), who has returned from leave to assist in the emergency. Reports from these officials are expected about Thursday. Mr Hanan was advised that on Fakaofo, swamp taro plantations were flooded and most of the banana and breadfruit crops washed away.

On Nukunonu, bread fruit, pawpaw and banana crops are ruined, and 15 per cent of the coconut trees have been destroyed.

The Minister has been told that hospital buildings on Fakaofo are badly damaged. Four fale (grass buildings with thatched roofs) wards and doctors’ and nurses’ residences have collapsed. An emergency hospital has been established at Fono House. Mr Hanan said 20 houses have been destroyed—six on Nukunonu and the rest on Fakaofo, where village fencing was also damaged. Water supplies contain debris, but water is being boiled and there has been no report of sickness.