The United States Federal Emergency Management Agency says only US citizens are eligible for assistance following last month's floods and landslides in American Samoa.
The comment is from the agency's William Lokey, who has appointed to co-ordinate federal recovery operations.
However Lt Governor Aitofele Sunia says the territorial goverment will approach the agency over this because many storm victims do not have US citizenship.
The agency's help has come because the island of Tutuila was declared a disaster area after the impact of the storm which claimed four lives.
