New Zealand Defence Force personnel worked alongside local people to help restore essential services to the island of Aitutaki, in the Cook Islands, in the wake of damage wreaked by Cyclone Pat in mid February.
The Defence Force’s ‘Operation Cook Islands Assist’ was a tri-Service effort – Navy, Army and Air Force personnel each contributing their unique capabilities.
Initially a C-130 aircraft from No 40 Squadron ferried supplies from the main island of Rarotonga to Aitutaki, which has a population of around 2,000. The aircraft successfully completed four flights, delivering a range of aid, including a water purification plant from Australia, temporary shelters, electrical cabling, water containers, two bobcat diggers, blankets and food.
A New Zealand Army engineering team of 12 personnel from Linton Camp worked with the Emergency Operations Co-ordination Centre.
The engineering team included electricians, a builder, heavy plant operators, field engineers and a plumber, providing a wide range of skills. Their task initially focused on the provision of temporary shelters for those families who had lost their homes, in addition to restoring electricity and the main water supply damaged during the cyclone.
Heading up the 12-man team from Linton Army Camp was Sergeant Glenn Abbot’s group. They worked on the island for two weeks and were accommodated at Aitutaki’s hospital.
Reflecting on those two weeks, SGT Abbot said, “I’ve been in the Army for over 12 years and this has been the most rewarding work I’ve ever been a part of. At first our priority was assisting the Red Cross in setting up humanitarian shelters. We then moved to work on the four schools on the island — fixing damage, re-roofing and building water tanks. In spite of what had happened the people were so welcoming and appreciated our efforts.”
Chief Petty Officer Marine Technician Kelvin Marsh assisted High Commission staff and acted as liaison for the engineers.
New Zealand’s Agency for International Development Manager Julie Affleck, who is based at the High Commission in Rarotonga, said she was very impressed with the Defence Force effort, and noticed widespread appreciation among Aitutaki’s people:
“I was told that when the Hercules touched down in Aitutaki, the locals clapped, but when the field engineers emerged, they cheered — they could see help had arrived. Deploying trained personnel to disaster zones with relief supplies and equipment gives everyone confidence that things will happen. And things did happen ... when the team had dealt with the immediate needs of shelter and water, they focused on the repairs needed to get the children back into school. Like the locals, I was impressed with the Defence Force attitude to get things done – regardless of the heat, the obstacles, the limited resources and time. They had energy, good humour and great team work and as the island community started to recover, locals were not shy to show their appreciation. There is still much work to be done but having Glenn Abbot and his team on the ground for a fortnight had a significant impact in moving from the emergency response to recovery phase.”