ReliefWeb

- The USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (USAID/DART) Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) component concluded two weeks of operations in Christchurch on March 8. The USAID/DART commenced demobilization of the USAR component on March 9, with the final USAID/DART member scheduled to depart New Zealand on March 12.

- On March 6, the Government of New Zealand (GoNZ) began a phased reduction of the protective cordon around the Christchurch central business district to allow area home and business owners to access their properties and reclaim assets and vehicles, according to the GoNZ Ministry of Civil Defense and Emergency Management (MCDEM). The GoNZ plans to open additional areas in the central business district in the coming days.

- On March 7, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key announced plans to hold a national memorial service on March 18, in remembrance of people killed during the earthquake.