8 Jul 2005

New Zealand gives US$530,000 to PNG volcano disaster victims

4:19 pm on 8 July 2005

The New Zealand Aid agency, NZAid, has given World Vision Papua New Guinea over 530,000 US dollars to help in its work with Manam disaster victims.

More than 10-thousand Manam Islanders were evacuated from their homes when the island's volcano began erupting in October.

New Zealand had earlier given 182-thousand dollars, most of which went to providing food, water and health facilities for the people housed in care centres on the mainland.

The Acting Director of World Vision PNG, Sally Henderson, says the new contribution will go towards similar items.

"The money is going to be used to buy supplementary local food for the people in Manam. They are receiving from the government tinned fish and rice and this is going to be buying things like taro, sweet potato - kumara and bananas and also things like sugar, salt, flour and oil and some extra tinned meat just to supplement what the government is giving."

The Acting Director of World Vision PNG, Sally Henderson.