15 Jul 2011

NZ Foreign Minister announces Samoa tsunami funding

11:10 am on 15 July 2011

Extra funding for a tsunami-devastated village in Samoa is one of the results of the New Zealand Foreign Minister's visit there this week.

Mr McCully is also visiting Tonga, the Cook Islands and Niue as part of a tour preceding the Pacific Islands Forum leaders' meeting in Auckland in September.

New Zealand's committed 10 million US dollars to Samoa's tsunami recovery effort, enabling the completion of much rebuilding work almost two years after the tragedy claimed the lives of 143 Samoans.

Mr McCully says people in Poutasi have raised much of what's needed to build a new community centre but there was an outstanding balance.

"The New Zealand government has decided to commit $250,000 from the aid budget specifically to that project and we think this is a fitting way of supporting the reconstruction work that's taking place in an area that suffered enormous tragedy."

Murray McCully has now arrived in the Cook Islands.