9 Jul 2007

New Zealand boosts Solomons tsunami recovery funds

3:22 pm on 9 July 2007

The New Zealand government is to give Solomon Islands just under six million US dollars over two years to help with the recovery after last April's earthquake and tsunami.

The announcement was made by the New Zealand foreign minister, Winston Peters, in Honiara on the first stop of a three-nation Pacific tour.

Mr Peters says reconstruction in Western and Choiseul provinces is a monumental task that the Solomon Islands government is not able to complete on its own.

He says the funds will be used to restore education, rebuild lost livelihoods, especially in fisheries, and repair homes and transport infrastructure.

52 people died, 9,000 were affected, and about 6000 homes and other buildings were damaged or destroyed

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