New Zealand and Australia have joined a range of other partners in supporting the establishment of humanitarian relief warehouses across the Pacific.
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong are currently in Fiji to attend the Pacific Islands Forum Foreign Ministers meeting.
Mr Peters says, “As we know all too well, the Pacific is exposed to a wide range of natural hazards and other risks – including cyclones, earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, volcanoes and disease. These disasters can lead to immense humanitarian need.”
The initiative aims to put Pacific countries at the centre of responses. It will give countries access to humanitarian relief supplies within 48 hours of a disaster to help meet immediate needs following an emergency.
New Zealand and Australia will invest a combined NZ $47.5 million, working alongside other partners such as the United States, France, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom. The initiative will see warehouses built in 14 Pacific Islands countries and Timor-Leste.
