Minister for Disaster Management Jone Usamate has confirmed to FBC News emergency rations will leave Suva this evening bound for Kadavu.

Relief supplies will reach people in Kadavu and other maritime islands tomorrow.

Minister for Disaster Management Jone Usamate has confirmed to FBC News emergency rations will leave Suva this evening bound for Kadavu.

“We are now looking to send a boat down to Kadavu together with other officers who will carry out a detailed assessment and at the same time cater to the places where there is a need to distribute rations and provide whatever assistance to the people in those areas. That is our current focus, we’re focusing largely on Kadavu and other maritime islands.”

Usamate says supplies could not have reached the island sooner as ships would not have been able to berth on the island.

“The mitigating factor in Kadavu is the status of the jetty. The access to the jetty is quite difficult as there were two landslides on it and also the course way onto the jetty. Access to and from Kadavu by passengers and also by our government teams who are going across to do the assessment will be taking place tomorrow.”

Commercial shipping services to Kadavu will also resume tomorrow, and people can send items to families living on the island.