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Fiji cyclone relief now major operation for New Zealand military

Xinhua, February 29, 2016 Adjust font size:

The New Zealand military has embarked on one of its largest ever peacetime deployments in the Pacific with its contribution to the relief effort in cyclone-ravaged Fiji, a senior commander said Monday.

Almost 500 combat engineers, soldiers, sailors and aircrew had been deployed for the humanitarian aid operation after Tropic Cyclone Winston struck earlier this month, said Major General Tim Gall, Commander Joint Forces New Zealand.

"Now that the Fiji government has a better picture of the scale of the devastation, it is clear more help is needed," Gall said in a statement.

"Fiji is a close neighbor of New Zealand, and the NZDF (New Zealand Defence Force) stands ready to continue supporting the New Zealand government's assistance to Fiji as it recovers from the cyclone."

Multi-role vessel HMNZS Canterbury sailed for Fiji Sunday with 293 military personnel, including army engineers and medical staff, two NH90 multi-role helicopters, a Seasprite helicopter, vehicles and hundreds of tons of additional aid.

Around 50 New Zealand air force personnel were expected to arrive in Fiji on Wednesday and 144 were already helping with Fiji's disaster relief efforts.

HMNZS Canterbury would serve as the maritime base for the NZDF operations in Fiji's northern outer islands, where food, water and shelter were the most pressing needs.

"We are working alongside the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, the Australian Defence Force and the French military in getting aid supplies to affected people in these hard-to-reach areas," Gall said.

The New Zealand navy offshore patrol vessel HMNZS Wellington was in the northern Lau group of islands to deliver around 60 tons of aid supplies and identify beaches suitable for Canterbury's landing craft operations.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully left for Fiji Monday to discuss further aid as Fiji appealed to the United Nations for immediate assistance to help its recovery from cyclone, which killed at least 42 people.

"The damage to property and loss of life caused by Cyclone Winston in parts of Fiji is almost unprecedented in the Pacific," McCully said in a statement.

The New Zealand government had given a total of 3.2 million NZ dollars (2.11 million U.S. dollars) to the relief effort.

An estimated 59,000 people, more than 6 percent of Fiji's population, are reportedly living in evacuation centers. Endit