NZDF fine-tunes humanitarian assistance and disaster relief plans
The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) sent a team to Niue recently to look at how it could support the Pacific Island country in the aftermath of a natural disaster.
A four-member NZDF team worked with Niue government and local officials and surveyed the critical infrastructure, logistics and transportation networks, and public utilities including water, electricity and communications.
The purpose was to gather information that would be used in planning humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations in Niue. It would also be used to update the NZDF’s contingency plans for the south-west Pacific.
Air Commodore Kevin McEvoy, the Acting Commander Joint Forces New Zealand, said the NZDF, working in support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, was trying to ensure up-to-date and complete information underpinned its HADR contingency plans for the south-west Pacific.
“This is part of overall efforts to ensure we are ready to support Niue and other Pacific Island countries in responding to the impact of devastating natural disasters,” he said.
The NZDF has conducted at least four HADR operations in the past three years. In February 2016 it sent 530 military and civilian personnel, seven aircraft and two ships to support Fiji in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Winston. The seven-week mission was one of the NZDF’s largest peacetime deployments to the Pacific.
