NEWSPAGE 17 February
2010

(Photos: British High Commission)

NEW ZEALAND: Samoan competition winners arrive in Wellington

(Photos: eventpolynesia.com)

SAMOA: Manu Samoa 7s win sets the standard for Samoa Tri Nations
Source: eventpolynesia.com

The win at Las Vegas by Manu Samoa 7s in the week-end has set the standard high for top Samoan players from Australia, New Zealand and Samoa who are assembling in Auckland this week for the annual Samoa Tri Nations tournament.

Former Manu Samoa Captain, Papaliitele Peter Fatialofa, says the Manu Samoa 7s win is just the motivation needed to bring the best out of the 15s as Samoa prepares for next years World Cup.

Manu Samoa arrived in Auckland at 7am today before departing for Samoa in the afternoon.

The Samoa Tri Nations 2010 will be officially launched this Friday by Samoa Prime Minister and Chairman of the Samoa Rugby Union, Hon. Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi at the Otahuhu Rugby Club 6pm.

NZSRU President, Aiolupotea John Roache, said “As host for this year, we are fielding two senior teams with a mix of veteran players and new blood all vying for the opportunity to represent Samoa this year.”

Photo Caption: Manu Samoa 7s transiting through Auckland on their way home.
 

COOK ISLANDS: Aitutaki bouncing back
Source: Cook Islands Tourism Press Release

The Tourism Council of Aitutaki is concerned misinformation may stop visitors travelling to Aitutaki.

Chris Ingram, Cook Islands Tourism general manager - New Zealand says they are working closely with the Council to ensure travel agencies throughout New Zealand are aware that the island is open for business.

"Aitutaki is very reliant on tourism and this has ensured a collective and intensive effort to clean up the island as quickly as possible. The tour companies are all fully operational as of Sunday and Air Rarotonga since Friday, with their schedule increasing as the demand dictates. Similarly many of the restaurants are open for business with full services."

Telecom Cook Islands have restored lines to most properties but Internet and mobile phones are limited in their services.

"A team of technicians from Rarotonga is on the island. They are progressively working to fully restore all communications systems."

Mr Ingram says almost all accommodation is open although in some instances not all rooms are operational.

"Rest assured visitors will not be placed in a room that isn't fully operational and up to our normal high standards. We pride ourselves on the paradise offering the Cook Islands are famous for, there is no way we would ever jeopardize this."

Mr. Ingram confirmed almost all properties have been re-connected to the mains power supply and others are using generators. He says the lagoon cruise companies that operated yesterday reported that the lagoon is in great shape.

"The beaches of One Foot, Honeymoon Island and Akaiami are in perfect condition."

Visitors Margaret & James Hart say not only are they staying and continuing their holiday, they will return to Aitutaki.

"There is damage but there is so much beauty still on the island and in the people. The cyclone occurred on our second night here, only days ago. There has been a massive effort to bring life back to normal. Paradise has been injured but not lost. We are staying and will definitely return."

Mr Ingram says of the eight villages on Aitutaki none escaped damage, homes have been lost and most received some damage.

"There is tree and leaf debris that will take a few weeks to clean up. It will also take between two and four weeks for the foliage to begin its recovery but as is the case in the tropics after just two months we will see a dramatic re-growth.

"The people of Aitutaki are resilient and have already made great progress to return their lives to normal but it will take a lot of physical work and importantly Aitutaki will need the support of our visitors from New Zealand and around the world."
 

HAWAII: Tongans in Hawaii mount relief effort after storm hits homeland
Source: Honolulu Star Bulletin

Tongans in Hawai'i spent much of yesterday trying to get through to relatives and friends back home and pledged to coordinate relief efforts in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Rene, which slammed into the island nation with winds of up to 140 mph, causing widespread damage.

Donation campaigns for money and supplies are expected to start late this week.

News from Tonga was still coming in last night, and there were mounting reports of damage to homes and buildings in Tonga's capital from the super-storm, which brought high winds and flooding. The Associated Press also reported cyclone damage in more rural areas of Tonga, a nation that consists of three main island groups.

There was no immediate word on any casualties or serious injuries.

Tongans here said yesterday they were slowly getting through to family members in Tonga, but communication was difficult because many telephone and power lines were down.

Pālolo resident Ema Arelliano, who has relatives in Tonga, said some of her friends were able to link up to people in Tonga through text messages.

"We'll just have to wait and see" how bad the destruction is, she said.

Tongans in Hawai'i said whatever the need, they're ready to help. It's something they do already, they said.

"We always help Tonga," said the Rev. Manako Kemoeatu of Kahuku United Methodist Church.

There are an estimated 10,000 Tongans in Hawai'i, many of whom often send money back home personally or through community drives to help the South Pacific's last kingdom stay afloat.

As much as 40 percent of Tonga's economy is based on remittances from Tongans living in the United States or other nations.

Donations from Tongans in Hawai'i will be crucial in helping the country get emergency supplies to people, Tongan community leaders here said yesterday. Those dollars could also go far in addressing more long-term rebuilding efforts.

Annie Kobayashi, honorary consular agent for the Tonga Consular Agency in Hawai'i, said she has no doubt Tongans in Hawai'i will come through for their friends and relatives back home.

"When the community gets together, it's wholeheartedly and with unity," Kobayashi said yesterday. "They do make a very marked difference in the lives of Tongans back home."

Cyclone Rene hit Tonga with wind gusts of up to 140 mph and torrential rains. The nation's National Disaster Committee deputy director called the cyclone possibly the worst in 50 years.

And Tongan police commander Chris Kelley said, "There has really been quite a bit of devastation."

He added, "There's widespread damage to crops ... (and) to buildings. There's trees across roads."

Even before the cyclone hit, many Tongans in Hawai'i were talking about mobilizing relief efforts.

Tupou Kelemeni, whose husband is pastor at First United Methodist Church on Beretania Street, said the urge to help is part of a culture of giving.

She also pointed out that so many Tongans have left the island nation that many feel compelled to share whatever they can with their homeland after securing good lives in the United States.

She added that Tongans in Hawai'i are ready and eager to plan relief efforts for cyclone victims.

"We have a lot of community organizations" ready to help, Kelemeni said.

Her husband, the Rev. Eddie Kelemeni, said poverty is relative in Tonga because so many get along with so little.

But, he said, most concerning about the storm is its reported damage to crops, since so many depend on locally grown food for their livelihood and for their own tables.

Kelemeni also agreed that the aid to the island nation from Tongans in Hawai'i will be significant. He said Tongan groups and even the Tongan government have come to Hawai'i in the past to raise money for different causes precisely because the community here is so generous.

"We just like to help other people," Kelemeni said.

Utu Langi, of Helping the Hungry Have Hope, said Tongans here also help those back home so much because they want them to know their hearts haven't left the island nation.

"It boosts their (Tongans') morale knowing there are people here still concerned about them," said Langi, whose mother and sister are in Tonga.

The last storm to cause major damage in Tonga was Tropical Cyclone Waka in 2002.

The storm destroyed dozens of buildings and decimated crops, spurring Tonga to ask for international aid.
 

(Photo: TVNZ ONE News)

TONGA: Tonga mops up after Cyclone Rene
Source: TVNZ ONE News

The New Zealand government are on hand to help as the clean-up gets underway in Tonga on Tuesday following its battering from Cyclone Rene.

Tonga's National Disaster Committee is meeting on Tuesday to assess the damages bill in the wake of the storm.

The category three cyclone whipped through the northern Vava'u group, causing widespread damage in the central Ha'apai group of islands, before descending on the main island of Tongatapu on Monday night.

Radio Tonga's English news editor Sophie Price is based on Tongatapu, where she estimates 10% of the main island is damaged.

She says contractors are assessing the power lines before the grid is turned back on. Price says people are currently clearing downed trees and fixing rooves that have been ripped off homes.

Most communications and power in the Pacific nation remain knocked out.

Government radio in Tonga reports that most fruit trees and many other crops have been destroyed and some buildings have collapsed or were damaged in the Ha'apai islands.

The storm battered the capital Nuku'alofa on Monday evening, which lies on the northern side of Tongatapu, sending sheets of metal flying through the air, bringing power poles and trees down over roads and flooding low lying areas.

There have been reports of torrential rain and winds of up to 230 kilometres per hour lashing some areas.

Tonga's police commissioner Chris Kelley has been out assessing the damage.

Trees have been bent sideways by the wind and there is also a lot of surface flooding.

Forecast to be the worst storm in around 50 years, although it is still unclear how much damage the cyclone has inflicted on Tonga. Early reports suggested devastation in Vava'u has been lighter than expected, given the strength of the winds.

Police say the Tongan community was well-prepared and there has been no report of any injuries or deaths.

He said at about 8.00pm there was a lull as the eye of the storm passed over the capital, Nuku'alofa.

"It's completely calm, no wind, no rain - completely still. It's quite eerie really. For 50 to 55 minutes we've had a real battering with very strong winds, very, very heavy rain and now it's dead calm," he told Radio New Zealand before phone lines to Nuku'alofa went dead.

Aid organisation Oxfam has personnel, including sanitation engineers and public health specialists, on standby.

The New Zealand government says it is monitoring the situation closely.

Talks were held on Monday night between the New Zealand government, Tonga, Australia and France regarding what level of response might be needed.

The Fiji Meteorological Service earlier downgraded the cyclone from category four on the five-point scale to category three and now sits at category two, though it was still packing winds of 160km/h.

Gale-warnings remain in place in Nuku'alofa as the cyclone continues further out to sea.
 

(Photo: NZ Red Cross)

WORLDWIDE: New Zealand Red Cross responds to Pacific storms
Source: New Zealand Red Cross

Two New Zealand Red Cross humanitarian aid workers are preparing to fly to the Pacific today to help in the clean up after Tropical Cyclones Pat and Rene.

Douglas Clark, from Dunedin, a veteran of many Red Cross emergencies will be deployed to Tonga for up to three weeks as a disaster assessment specialist to help deliver disaster response after Cyclone Rene.

Clare Shave, of Christchurch, who joined Red Cross teams after the Indian Ocean tsunami and Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh, will be deployed to Rarotonga today to join Cook Islands Red Cross Society counterparts responding to the cyclones. Cyclone Pat damaged almost all buildings on Aitutaki.

"The Red Cross is known for its work with emergencies. It's the leading organisation in that particular area so it's a great privilege to be involved with it," says Shave, who is a chartered accountant.

Yesterday, a New Zealand Air Force Hercules flew to Rarotonga packed with New Zealand Red Cross relief supplies. The plane has since been reloaded, with the aim of making four drops on Aitutaki today. Among the supplies are tarpaulins, tents, water containers, candles, a generator and chainsaws. A branch of the Cook Islands Red Cross has been conducting assessments and is on hand to distribute aid on Aitutaki.

New Zealand Red Cross is raising funds for the Cook Islands disaster and recovery operation. Donations can be made at www.redcross.org.nz

The New Zealand government has given $200,000 in aid to the Cook Islands Red Cross to help with recovery efforts in the aftermath of Cyclone Pat.

New Zealand Red Cross has been working closely with the New Zealand Government in the coordination of the disaster response for the Cook Islands, and is also in close contact other Pacific Red Cross National Societies and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Photo Caption: International humanitarian aid worker Douglas Clark in the Cook Islands in the wake of Cyclone Percy 2005.