18 Jan 2010

Red Cross still needed by Samoa tsunami survivors

3:31 pm on 18 January 2010

The Red Cross in Samoa is still delivering water to about 5,000 people a day following last September's tsunami.

Many people moved to higher ground following the disaster, where they still live in makeshift shelters, while rebuilding their homes.

The operations managers of the New Zealand Red Cross, Andrew McKee, who's just visited the area, says volunteers still need to deliver water.

"The situation water is still a major issue and water is being trucked daily, there're three water trucks going around the relocated camps. But there's a major water project going on where they're using a fresh water lake and they'll be piping water down to the relocated areas. That project is to be completed in the next month or so."

Andrew McKee says the organisation is now looking at long-term measures, including disaster preparation.