Winston Peters arrived in Jakarta yesterday and will meet Indonesian Government ministers. Photo / Mark Mitchell

NZ aid to Indonesia tops $5m after $3m more committed

Author: NZ Herald ,
Publish Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2018, 10:45AM

The New Zealand aid response to the Indonesian earthquake has topped $5 million, with the Government committing an extra $3 million to disaster response today.

The New Zealand Defence Force has also deployed a Hercules loaded with emergency relief supplies to earthquake hit Indonesia.

It is scheduled to land in Indonesia today.

This morning, the Government committed $1.5 million to the immediate funding for aid agencies working on the ground delivering practical assistance.

"As well, a further $1.5 million will be allocated to stand-by funding to support the international community's efforts for emergency relief activities and early recovery projects," Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement.

This comes two days after he announced the Government would provide $1.6 million to International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies emergency appeal.

Peters this morning announced the C-130 Hercules aircraft would join an international air bridge effort to transport supplies and personnel into the affected area.

It is loaded with emergency relief supplies including generators, water containers and tarpaulins.

An Indonesian rescue team carries the body of a victim following the earthquake and tsunami in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Photo / AP

This, along with the allocated aid funding, brings the total aid response up to $5m.
Last Friday a 7.5 magnitude earthquake occurred off the coast of Sulawesi, triggering dozens of aftershocks.

Coastal cities were hit by a tsunami not long after the earthquake.

The death toll, according to official estimates, has climbed to almost 1500.

"The scale of the relief effort required following last week's earthquake and tsunami is becoming increasingly apparent, and there are many people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance," Peters said in a statement this morning.

He arrived in Jakarta yesterday and has scheduled meetings with Indonesian Government ministers today and tomorrow.

The coastal city of Palu was one of the worst affected areas of Indonesia affected by the earthquake. It was hit by waves as high as 6m.

The surge of water caused widespread destruction to the city.

Indonesia's National Disaster and Mitigation Agency has said that most of the victims in Palu were killed as a result of the tsunami.