Red Cross Aid Workers Return to New Zealand

Red Cross Aid Workers Return to New Zealand

New Zealand Red Cross aid workers sent to Tonga and the Cook Islands following destructive cyclones returned to New Zealand today (Tuesday 23 February).

Douglas Clark, now back in his home town of Dunedin, said Tonga was fortunate to escape serious damage.

“Tonga was very lucky. There was a great danger that this could have been much bigger. They got away with it quite lightly.”

Mr Clark assisted the Tonga Red Cross Society, which conducted assessments to check damage, and distributed relief items such as tarpaulins, buckets, lamps, blankets and clothes.

Currently, trained Tonga Red Cross volunteers are going by boat to the outer islands of Vava’u to see how people are faring, he said.

Clare Shave, who helped the Cook Islands Red Cross Society with finance and reporting, is now back in Christchurch.

“It was all hands on deck to help the people of Aitutaki. I was impressed by the commitment and drive of the Red Cross volunteers,” she said.

The Red Cross distributed tarpaulins and cooking sets, purified water, and is this week continuing to distribute dried food and hygiene articles.

As the South Pacific cyclone season runs until April and it is expect that furthers cyclone will form during the next two months, New Zealand Red Cross remains vigilant and will ensure that Pacific Red Cross Societies are given plenty of advance warning.

ENDS

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