The World Bank has increased its aid to Tonga following Cyclone Ian in January.
The World Bank has increased its aid to Tonga following Cyclone Ian in January.
The storm killed one person, damaged hundreds of houses and left half the population in the Ha'apai Group homeless.
The Bank had already committed just over eight million US dollars and this has now been increased to 12 million in grants and low interest loans.
The Cyclone Ian Reconstruction and Climate Resilience Project the Bank will help rebuild and repair hundreds of homes and restore critical community facilities like markets, health centres and schools.
Photo: RNZ
A World Bank assessment had put the cost of the physical damage and economic loss from the the disaster at 50 million US dollars or 11 percent of the country's GDP.
The Bank's country director for the Pacific Franz Drees-Gross says the project has been designed to get the people of Ha'apai back on their feet, and ensure communities are better prepared to deal with natural disasters in the future.