The involvement of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) in Fiji's post Cyclone Winston clean-up is now shifting from a direct aid response to assisting with re-building communities.
This comes after the cyclone displaced up to 45 percent of the country's population, Fiji's National Diaster Management Office says.
The New Zealand High Commissioner to Fiji Mark Ramsden says the NZDF has been the biggest part of the New Zealand Government's reaction to the devastation.
(NZDF)
"We are now starting to think about how things transition from a military-type response to a more civilian-type response," he said.
And NZDF Commander Joint Forces New Zealand Major General Tim Gall says he is glad they have been able to help Fiji in its time of need.
"Our ships and aircraft have been delivering aid supplies to remote communities devastated by the cyclone. We have also been helping make urgent repairs to schools, clinics and other community buildings," he said.
(NZDF)
Close to 500 combat engineers, soldiers, sailors and aircrew have been deployed to Fiji to help in disaster recovery efforts -- one of the largest peacetime deployments to the Pacific.
Newshub.
