Which is now dealing with the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle, which caused extensive floods and landslides in the country’s north and cut off certain communities, has indicated it is open to offers of international assistance.
After four days of violent winds and downpours, five deaths have been officially confirmed. Officials claim that 100 people are missing and that 10,500 more have been forced to relocate.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins on Thursday warned New Zealanders recovery would take time, with power not expected to be restored to some areas for weeks and the cleanup likely to take much longer. “This is a traumatic event,” he said. “It’s a very big challenge to restore infrastructure as fast as we can but we have to acknowledge that we are in for a bumpy ride.” After initially setting aside offers of help from the United States and other countries, Hipkins added: “We are accepting offers of international assistance.”
The New Zealand Defence Force has deployed two large ships and a C-130 Hercules transport plane to deliver thousands of litres of water along with personnel and several mobile water treatment plants to the most hard-hit regions.
