Fiji

The funds will immediately be made available from EU-SPC projects for communities and businesses in the most severely affected regions of Fiji.

The Director of Fiji's National Disaster Management Office, Akapusi Tuifagalele, told Fiji media the latest victim is from Koro Island.

The victim died at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva.

FBC news reported there were now 54, 615 people in 899 evacuation centres.

This contribution builds on earlier assistance which delivered lifesaving support to people across the country within 48 hours of the cyclone.

Bainimarama says their priority remains to provide basic necessities and restore essential services within these thirty-days and then they will decide on the next step from there on.

Spokesperson Ewan Perrin said that number continued to rise as communication was restored to affected areas.

Mr Perrin said, at this stage, there was enough aid in the evacuation centres to go around.

Melino Maka is chair of the Tongan Advisory Council and is part of the Red Cross Pacific team.

Mr Maka said the large Pacific community in Auckland can't understand why they were not able to send private contributions of aid on the two naval vessels being sent to Fiji.

A spokesperson, Ewan Perrin, said the number has jumped from 20,000 yesterday as communication has been restored to affected areas.

Mr Perrin said in the western division, there are about 22,000 people being housed in evacuation centres, and in the central division, about 16,000.

Chief Executive Officer of Digicel Fiji, Mr. Darren McLean says an early response is needed to help our country get back on its feet in this time of crisis.

The death toll from Saturday's category five cyclone stood at 29 on Tuesday, with more than 13,000 people believed to be sheltering in evacuation centres.

With assessment teams still working to reach badly-hit outer islands that number was likely to grow - with surveillance flights already revealing a grim picture of vast devastation.

ANZ CEO Pacific & CEO Fiji Vishnu Mohan said: “This is one of the worst cyclones to hit Fiji destroying many towns and villages as well as damaging vital infrastructure. It will take a long time for Fiji to fully recover from this disaster and we want our customers to know that we are here ready to support them.”

ANZ’s customer assistance package includes:

• suspension of all home loan, personal loan and small loan repayments for 60 days;