Aid flows grow in Solomons, tsunami toll to rise

Honiara, Apr 6: The flow of aid to the Solomon Islands accelerated today as military aircraft ferried in supplies after a powerful earthquake triggered a tsunami that killed dozens and smashed villages.

At least 34 are known to have died but the death toll is expected to rise sharply with up to 100 people still missing.

Bad weather was also hampering relief shipments to remote islands.

''There are many more people missing and unaccounted for,'' said Alex Lokopio, premier of the Solomon's western province which was hit by Monday's tsunami and magnitude 8 earthquake.

He expected the death toll to rise sharply in the next 24 hours when officials return from isolated villages.

''We are preparing for a worsening of the known number of dead,'' Greg Hunt, parliamentary secretary to Australia's foreign minister, today said.

''In a situation like this, many people may just disappear out there. A tsunami or giant wave in low-lying areas means we may not find some of those that have been lost,'' Hunt told radio.

The tsunami and earthquake destroyed up to 2,500 homes and left an estimated 5,500 people displaced, says the Solomons government.

More than 2,000 people too afraid to return to their homes are crowded into one camp on high ground near the Western Provincial capital of Gizo, which bore the full force of the quake and tsunami.

The Solomons has about 500,000 people scattered across a string of small islands along the Pacific's ''Ring of Fire'', where volcanic activity and earthquakes are common. Most Solomon Islanders live on subsistence agriculture and fishing.

While relief supplies continued to arrive, shortages of clean drinking water, adequate sanitation and medicines and materials to prevent malaria were the biggest causes of concern, a government official today said.

Local health authorities expected a surge in the number of mosquito breeding sites and the World Health Organisation expects the number of malaria cases to rise over the next two months.

The reopened Gizo airport has accelerated the arrival of supplies from the Australian and New Zealand air forces.

Australian medical teams and aid, including treated mosquito nets and clean water, arrived in the Solomons today and a mobile health team focused on disease prevention and sanitation will depart Australia today.

But for many isolated villagers aid is still days away and bad weather is hampering aid reaching them. The only way for aid to reach many of the tiny islands was by boat, but many motorised canoes had been swept away by Monday's disaster.

''It would take time to reach those people. The islands are so scattered,'' said government spokesman Alfred Maesulia.

Australia has offered A

Honiara, Apr 6: The flow of aid to the Solomon Islands accelerated today as military aircraft ferried in supplies after a powerful earthquake triggered a tsunami that killed dozens and smashed villages.

At least 34 are known to have died but the death toll is expected to rise sharply with up to 100 people still missing.

Bad weather was also hampering relief shipments to remote islands.

''There are many more people missing and unaccounted for,'' said Alex Lokopio, premier of the Solomon's western province which was hit by Monday's tsunami and magnitude 8 earthquake.

He expected the death toll to rise sharply in the next 24 hours when officials return from isolated villages.

''We are preparing for a worsening of the known number of dead,'' Greg Hunt, parliamentary secretary to Australia's foreign minister, today said.

''In a situation like this, many people may just disappear out there. A tsunami or giant wave in low-lying areas means we may not find some of those that have been lost,'' Hunt told radio.

The tsunami and earthquake destroyed up to 2,500 homes and left an estimated 5,500 people displaced, says the Solomons government.

More than 2,000 people too afraid to return to their homes are crowded into one camp on high ground near the Western Provincial capital of Gizo, which bore the full force of the quake and tsunami.

The Solomons has about 500,000 people scattered across a string of small islands along the Pacific's ''Ring of Fire'', where volcanic activity and earthquakes are common. Most Solomon Islanders live on subsistence agriculture and fishing.

While relief supplies continued to arrive, shortages of clean drinking water, adequate sanitation and medicines and materials to prevent malaria were the biggest causes of concern, a government official today said.

Local health authorities expected a surge in the number of mosquito breeding sites and the World Health Organisation expects the number of malaria cases to rise over the next two months.

The reopened Gizo airport has accelerated the arrival of supplies from the Australian and New Zealand air forces.

Australian medical teams and aid, including treated mosquito nets and clean water, arrived in the Solomons today and a mobile health team focused on disease prevention and sanitation will depart Australia today.

But for many isolated villagers aid is still days away and bad weather is hampering aid reaching them. The only way for aid to reach many of the tiny islands was by boat, but many motorised canoes had been swept away by Monday's disaster.

''It would take time to reach those people. The islands are so scattered,'' said government spokesman Alfred Maesulia.

Australia has offered A$2 million (1.6 million dollars) in aid and help from around 100 military peacekeepers who were rotated into the country on Wednesday, taking in extra water supplies, food and shelter.

REUTERS

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million (1.6 million dollars) in aid and help from around 100 military peacekeepers who were rotated into the country on Wednesday, taking in extra water supplies, food and shelter.

REUTERS

Related Stories