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Aerial surveys done by the New Zealand and Australian Air Force planes show that there is widespread damage in the nothern and eastern divisions.
DISMAC Operations officer Anthony Blake said however in terms of destroyed homes, the figure is not as ‘substantial as we thought it would be’.
"An issue that would come up here is rations, for isolated communities that is being worked on as we speak.
"We’ve got business houses offering their support either in donations of food or provision of discount items. For the east, we’ll only know better after this evening," Blake said.
It has also been confirmed that the naval boats arrived into their area of operation at first light today.
".... so this afternoon we should have an idea of which islands and villages have been completed," Blake said.
The Commissioner Northern was today provided with a helicopter, providing some relief as well as getting accurate information on the ground.
