23rd February, 2017 The Minister for MEIDECC and Chair of the National Emergency Management Committee Hon. Poasi Mataele Tei, today received emergency relief supplies from the Government of Japan through collaboration with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The goods were handed over by the Japanese Ambassador to Tonga H.E. Tetsuya Ishii in a special ceremony at National Emergency Management Office (NEMO) warehouse at Vaololoa.
Hon. Tei thanked the Government of Japan on behalf of the Tongan government for their continuous assistance.
“In receiving these goods, we are grateful for Japan’s contributions and we wish to acknowledge the continual and warm relations between our two governments. Your kind support has enabled our government through NEMO to effectively respond to the state of emergency a lot faster with needed support to the affected people of Tonga in times of desperate needs.”
H.E. Tetsuya Ishii said that he hopes the equipment donated will be fully utilized by those who were affected by the cyclone.
The assistance is part of the Japanese government support after receiving a request from the Tongan government in the wake of TC Gita. The relief goods include tents, plastic sheets, generators, tarpaulins and others.
Last year in August, the Government of Japan through the Non-Project Grant Aid (NPGA) handed over equipment to Tonga’s National Emergency Management Office (NEMO) which is being utilized in the distribution of relief supplies to affected families around Tonga after TC Gita.
Valued at TOP 3million, the equipment includes, four cargo crane trucks, two water tank trucks, one septic tank truck, 15 tents, 20 mobile toilets, two life boats with engines, 15 chainsaws, 10 emergency lamps with generators, five manual forklifts, one mini excavator and other technical equipment.
The National Emergency Management Office is under the Ministry of MEIDECC.
ENDS
Issued by the: Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Climate Change & Communications.