PRESS STATEMENT 1/03
The Government of the Solomon Islands
will receive FJ$20,000 this week from the Regional Natural Disaster Relief
Fund, to assist with relief efforts on the islands of Tikopia and Anuta
following damage caused by Cyclone Zoe.
The Fund is administered by the Suva-based Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.
The Officer-in-Charge of the Secretariat, Mr Jaindra Kumar, said that while the disaster relief fund provided a modest amount of assistance, he was confident that this would go some way towards helping those people in need of support.
The Regional Natural Disaster Relief Fund was established in 1975 by Forum Island Countries.
These are the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
The Forum's two developed member countries - Australia and New Zealand - also provide assistance through other channels.
Forum Secretariat, Suva