The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is supporting Kiribati government efforts to bring food, water, temporary shelter, medicine, and other emergency supplies to island communities of Tamana and Arorae hit hard by recent storms.
According to island sources more than one hundred homes on both islands have been destroyed. Thousands of people have been affected as their food resources have been completely destroyed either by wind or waves. The effects will be felt in the next days and weeks as food becomes scarce on these islands.
In cooperation with government and relief agencies, what would normally take three days on a commercial boat to reach the islands from Tarawa, will only take one day by government patrol boat to deliver supplies donated by the Church.
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With the help of Church members and full-time missionaries more than 10 tonnes of food supplies (flour, rice, sugar, biscuits and canned fish) were loaded onto a government patrol boat that travelled from Tarawa to the two remote islands on Sunday morning, 6th January.
The Church also provided 39 tents and 17 canvases for temporary shelters.
The Red Cross of Kiribati also assisted, providing first aid supplies, clothing, utensils, and some temporary shelters on the same patrol boat which transported the Church-donated supplies.
The boat is due to arrive at the first island, Tamana, on Tuesday morning. A staff member from the Office of the President of Kiribati is also onboard and is planning to deliver the supplies to the mayors of the two islands.
Read more at Radio New Zealand's website.