Transparency trumps speed in Tonga relief effort

Four days after Cyclone Gita and authorities were still struggling to get supplies to those who most need it.

A convoy of eight trucks manned with Emergency Management personnel, military, National Youth Congress members and Caritas aid agency staff wove its way to the north-eastern districts of Tongatapu on Friday.

Half of the villages that needed assistance were still waiting, and Emergency Management Office Director Leveni 'Aho had already expressed concern about the speed of the distribution.

But transparency trumps speed in the process at the moment.

Mr 'Aho said it was important that people trusted the way aid was handed out so authorities could not be accused of favouritism.

So aid is being handled twice, Emergency Management units drop supplies to each town officer who is seen as the appropriate person to distribute to those in need.

On this trip the first stop is a church in Alakifonua, about 30 minutes drive from the capital of Nuku'alofa.

Tarpaulins, tents, hygiene kits and generators are dropped off.

The town officer has a list of people who have been assessed by his team who are in need of the supplies.

Lava Enosi said the aid was for those people and not everybody.

Mr Enosi said while officials sought to meet people's need, it was also important for Tongans to stand up and not wait for aid.

He said replanting is something that needed to be carried out in order for villages to recover.

Officials hoped to reach the remaining 13 villages that needed help by the weekend.

A few kilometres up the road from the drop off point in Talasiu is a family who have no roof on their house and were still waiting for help.

Kaloti Leau said something to keep his family dry is a must.

"What we need is clothes to wear and stuff to sleep on. All the stuff in the house is already damaged.

That's all we need clothes and something to sleep on," he said.

Mr Leau said water and soap and something to fight mosquitoes would also be handy.

Further up the road in Talafo'ou are Lose and Timani Kata who have lost everything.

They have seen aid but only in the form of building tools and cooking utensils.

"There are many things we need," Mrs Kata said.

"Food, kids clothing and especially our house."

Back in town the clothing store Asena Tonga managed was closed for business

All her stock was lost, damaged from the storm and her roof is off.

Asena is relying on what she calls 'ofa or love of her family and friends to get the shop back on its feet.

They're selling crops to contribute to the repairs and also volunteering their time to help.

So while official assistance had been slow, people across Tongatapu and 'Eua have banded together to help each other and complaints are few and far between.

More aid on its way to Tonga

Meanwhile the Australian government has announced additional humanitarian assistance to support Tongan communities devastated by Tropical Cyclone Gita

The Minister for International Development and the Pacific Concetta Fierravanti-Wells says the additional funding of $US2.4 million will support the work of the Red Cross, the Tongan Women and Children's Crisis Centre and Australian NGOs as they deliver urgent help to affected communities, such as shelter and protection services for women and children.

Tonga's National Emergency Management Office says aid supplies donated by New Zealand and Australia have been a great boost to the cyclone Gita disaster response.

Director Leveni Aho said when people are disrupted by a disaster like Gita they can't just go to a shop and buy what they need to replace lost essentials.

He said Tonga did have some of what he calls 'pre-positioned' supplies consisting of hygiene and sanitation equipment but the extra donations have really helped.

"There was a considerable amount. The amount that came in from New Zealand and Australia recently is ten times what we had preposition stuff here. We are very appreciative of the support that came through," said Leveni Aho.

Mr Aho says now that road access to more distant villages has improved the response teams are focussing on fair distribution of the aid to those in need and he says it is important that this is a coordinated and transparent process.

He says once initial aid is given out and assessments done, then the Tongan government will have a more clear idea of what more is needed for the country to really recover from the disaster.