19 Aug 2003

More emergency supplies needed for displaced Solomon Islanders

4:31 pm on 19 August 2003

The Solomon Islands Red Cross says more aid is needed for families who were displaced earlier this year on Guadalcanal's Weather coast by the warlord Harold Keke.

Keke is now in custody in Honiara after surrendering last week to the intervention force.

The Red Cross's secretary-general, Charles Kelly, says one of their teams has just returned from the Weather Coast where they distributed 150 emergency kits to more than a hundred families.

He says the relief mission, the first to the region since November last year, targetted the village of Veuru.

Mr Kelly says the kits contained kitchen utensils, fishing equipment, garden tools, seeds and hygiene articles.

He says many more displaced families in the isolated region need help.

Mr Kelly says the team will return next week to deliver more kits and give medical attention.