The head of disaster co-ordination in Samoa says families who receive help from relatives living overseas should not fear aid officials visiting their homes.
Principal Disaster Management Officer for Samoa, Filomena Nelson, says stories of people hiding food from officials in case they miss out on government aid, have been resolved at the village level and no one in need is missing out.
She is responding to claims made by a local body politician in New Zealand, Litea Ah Hoi, who says people affected by the tsunami disaster four months ago in Samoa are still struggling to get enough food, water and educational supplies for children.
But Filomena Nelson says relief assistance has been given to those who need it, and this will continue.
"The relief assistance has been given to all the families that have been affected. So it doesn't matter whether we give them stuff today and tomorrow and the next day, they will still receive the same thing. But I think the families were just worried that if they received something from another organisation they won't get it from another organisation, or from government. But, you know, the assistance has gone to them."
Filomena Nelson, Principal Disaster Management Officer for Samoa.
