MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Sullivan
I am pleased to announce that the Australian Government will provide additional humanitarian assistance for people displaced as a result of ethnic tensions in the Solomon Islands.
Several thousand people of Malaitan origin have left their homes on Guadalcanal to seek refuge in the Solomon Islands capital, Honiara, or have returned to Malaita and other islands.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Solomon Islands Red Cross have been providing shelter, basic hygiene, safe water, basic health assistance and first aid to displaced people.
Following field surveys by Solomon Islands Red Cross teams in Malaita, a distribution of food and non-food items is planned over the next few weeks to the worst affected internally displaced families, and their extended families who are providing assistance to them.
As part of this distribution, Australia will contribute up to $220,000 for the purchase in the Solomon Islands of canned fish and Australian-grown rice. This assistance will enable each family (normally about six people) to receive 120 kilograms (or 6 bags) of rice, and 48 tins of fish, sufficient for a two month period.
This assistance follows earlier contributions by the Australian Government to humanitarian relief efforts in the Solomon Islands being conducted by the ICRC and Solomon Islands Red Cross. This latest contribution brings to $560,000 the total amount provided by Australia to date.
Media contacts:
Judi Nixon (Mrs Sullivan's office) 07 5591 1011 / 0411 287 258
Deborah Nesbitt (AusAID) 02 6206 4966 / 0417 683 767