Close to 100 tonnes of humanitarian relief supplies provided by the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) arrived yesterday at the Nadi International Airport.

The $US1.2 million (F$2.54m) relief items were flown in via an Emirates Boeing 777 cargo plane from its headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark.

UNICEF was among the many international organisations that offered help after Cyclone Winston battered the country, immediately pledging to give relief assistance worth $US730,000 (F$1,542,380.50) to the Fijian Government.

UNICEF Pacific Island countries representative Karen Allen said: “Today is about humanitarian work. We are able to provide with the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health on some preposition supplies for education and health sectors.

“We brought in a cargo plane with close to 100 tonnes of humanitarian aid from Copenhagen, which I believe the first time UNICEF has brought such a large cargo plane to Fiji.

“We have been in about nine missions with our counterparts and we are shocked with the damages caused but it is good to see how Fijians are coming together in the communities.

“The disaster is so large that we had to empty their supplies in Honiara and Port Villa.

“The Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama did the right thing in calling an international appeal and this is our first response.”

She said there were school stationeries and vitamins for mothers, children and also pregnant women.

The Minister for Education, Mahendra Reddy, on behalf of Government, thanked UNICEF for their timely assistance.

“We urgently needed tents for temporary learning space, stationary kits and washing kits to affected children. We managed to get some supplies from them a day later and distributed to schools and resume classes,” he said.

He said the massive relief aid marked an important day for the education sector with the arrival of the tents, stationary, and school in-box kits.

“This will fulfil the demands that we have in resuming those schools which are temporary closed in the interior of Ra and Eastern Division in Vanuabalavu, Koro, Taveuni and Ovalau,” Mr Reddy said.

The Assistance Minister for Health, Veena Bhatnagar, who was also present at Nadi Airport, echoed similar sentiments.

Edited by Naisa Koroi

Feedback:  waisean@fijisun.com.fj