Fiji will be deploying a team of personnel to support the New Zealand government’s response to Severe Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle.
The team will comprise officials from the Republic of the Fiji Military Forces, National Fire Authority and the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO).
Fiji through the Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management had offered its support to New Zealand last Sunday, and was subsequently accepted.
Minister Sakiasi Ditoka, NDMO director Vasiti Soko and the RFMF had provided a high-level brief of the Government’s deployment plan to Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and members of Cabinet on Monday.
“The New Zealand government is a close ally of Fiji and is an important part of our Pacific family,” Mr Ditoka said in a statement from the ministry.
“New Zealand has always been there for Fiji in our hour of need and this deployment is just our way of saying that we are there for New Zealand as well in this, their time of need, in the spirit of our Duavata Partnership.
“On behalf of the Government of Fiji, we send our condolences to the families of the victims of TC Gabrielle and we send our good wishes to the people of New Zealand as they recover from the aftermath of this intense tropical cyclone.”
Details of the deployment are still being finalised between the responsible agencies.
The deployment is expected to comprise a 33-member team.
Mr Ditoka said the NDMO team would consist of emergency management specialists to provide surge support to the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) in the NZ National Emergency Operations Centre; RFMF personnel to conduct a joint Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief (HADR) and support operations with the NZ Defence Force in affected areas.
He said NFA personnel would offer surge support to their counterparts at the Fire Emergency NZ.
