21 Jan 2020

Fijian soldiers deploy to fight bushfires in Australia

8:37 pm on 21 January 2020

More than 50 Fijian military personnel have been briefed on how to tackle the bushfire crisis in Australia.

Fijian soldiers are helping their New Zealand and Australian comrades fight the bushfires raging across Australia.

Fijian soldiers are helping their New Zealand and Australian comrades fight the bushfires raging across Australia. Photo: Facebook/Fijian Govt

The 54 Republic of Fiji Military Force (RFMF) engineers were deployed over the weekend to assist New Zealand and local defence force personnel in Australia.

A total of 119 NZDF personnel, including health teams and a chaplain, have deployed.

Last week, a hundred Papua New Guinea defence force personnel from an engineering batallion deployed to Australia to assist in the crisis.

Some of the 100 PNG Defence Force personnel who deployed to Australia to help fight bushfires, January 2020.

Some of the 100 PNG Defence Force personnel who deployed to Australia to help fight bushfires, January 2020. Photo: PNG PM Media Unit

Other Pacific Island countries, including Vanuatu, have donated financial support to Australia for the bushfires campaign.

More than 20 people have died in the bushfires.

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