16 Aug 2012

Solomons quake aid shipment to leave today

12:54 pm on 16 August 2012

Emergency supplies are set to leave this evening to help those affected by last month's earthquake on Solomon Islands Weathercoast of Guadalcanal.

About 9,000 people have been affected and homes, crops and water supplies have been damaged.

The Provincial Disaster Coordinator, Herrick Savusi, says the emergency supplies were meant to leave earlier this week, but a shortage of rice had held up the delivery.

He says they had originally ordered 50 tonnes of rice but will now have to leave with less than that.

"We are hoping to dispatch the consignment today, by this evening. That'll depend on how quick we finish loading the boat. They've given us rice that we required, 32 tonnes - equivalent to around 3,200 bags of rice."

Herrick Savusi says the other supplies include tents, mosquito nets and jerry cans for water storage, and the shipment should arrive around six am tomorrow.