Pacific

New Zealand pledges almost $US38,000 to aid post-Cyclone Vania Vanuatu

05:40 am on 21 February 2011

New Zealand's to provide almost US$38,000 dollars to support the recovery effort in Vanuatu following Cyclone Vania.

The Foreign Minister Murray McCully says the damage to crops and infrastructure from Vania came on the back of volcanic activity in 2009 and last year's drought.

He says the New Zealand assistance will go to the Adventist Development and Relief Agency or ADRA to help repair water supply systems in Tafea Province.

He says ADRA's an NGO that's been involved in a number of disaster recovery efforts and will work with the Vanuatu government's Department of Rural Water Supply.

Mr McCully also says that as the cyclone season is only halfway through it's important that New Zealand helps its Pacific neighbours to recover quickly from natural disasters so they're well-positioned to deal with any future events.