Papua New Guinea has pledged US$1.8 million US dollars to Vanuatu for immediate disaster relief and recovery funding following the devastation from Cyclone Pam.
Announcing the package, the PNG Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill, said his government was committed to helping people in the region recover from the disaster.
He also announced relief funding of around US$400-thousand to Tuvalu which sustained significant damage from the storm surge caused by Cyclone Pam.
Mr O'Neill said the funding will be channelled to the Vanuatu and Tuvalu governments as they know what they need at a local level in order to restore essential services and provide relief.
He said a PNG Assessment Team, including police, defence force and disaster officials, will soon depart to work with people in affected areas to assess further requirements that can be provided.
PNG has put out a call to the governments of other countries affected by Cyclone Pam, including Kiribati, and Solomon Islands, for information in order to better understand their relief and recovery needs.
Mr O'Neill said recent extreme weather has been alarming for people across the Pacific and he highlighted the vulnerabilities of developing nations in the Pacific.
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill. Photo: Supplied
