1 May 2014

Solomons flood victims say aid being withheld

1:35 pm on 1 May 2014

Some Solomon Islands flood victims say the government is withholding aid at evacuation centres in a bid to convince them to return to their damaged homes.

The chairman of the Disaster Victims Coalition Team 2014, Eddie Angookah, says some camps received no food or water yesterday.

Mr Angookah says the sanitation and health situation at the camps is also deteriorating.

"The authorities come to the camp and say, "Oh, you see if you don't go back, the government won't feed you, the relief is getting low at the moment now, so you have to make a decision to go back."

Eddie Angookah says his group is in ongoing negotiations with the National Disaster Management Office.

He says the Coalition wants victims to be relocated to another evacuation centre with higher standards, and for every victim to be issued with an identification card to ensure aid is being fairly distributed.

The National Disaster Management Office could not be reached for comment.