MEA Extends $1 Million to Fiji for Post Cyclone Recovery

Fiji will take months to recover from the damage created by Cyclone Winston.

Aerial photo of debris scattered around damaged buildings at Susui village in Fiji, after Cyclone Winston tore through the island (Photo: AP)

India extended $1 million as immediate assistance to Fiji, which was hit by a severe cyclone on Saturday killing 29 people. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted regarding the same.

The island nation was hit by a severe cyclone which brought with it wind gusts of 325kmph and waves up to 12 metres high, flattening crops and decimating villages completely.

About 8,500 people are still sheltering in evacuation centres and some villages had hardly any buildings still standing, said a government spokesman Ewan Perrin to Radio New Zealand during a phone interview.

The images emerging from early aerial assessments of affected areas are truly heartbreaking, leaving little doubt about the ferocity of this cyclone. It is clear from these catastrophic impacts that Fiji is facing a long road to recovery.

<b>Osnat Lubrani, UN Fiji coordinator</b>

As per reports, the death toll from the super-cyclone has risen to 29. Officials say recovery from the storm could take months. Power is gradually being restored in the main centres and roads cleared of felled trees.