Samoan families still wait for help

MAKESHIFT HOUSING: Scores of people are without adequate shelter, says a Lower Hutt woman just returned from Samoa.

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Nearly a month after Samoa was devastated by a tsunami, scores of families are huddled under tarpaulins without enough food or water as accusations mount that aid is not getting through.

Samoan Kiwis who have visited areas smashed by the September 30 waves say some aid is being kept by village leaders or sold by distributors rather than passed to those who need it.

They are speaking out despite fears that raising their concerns publicly could harm the continuing aid effort.

The tsunami killed 189 people, 149 of them in Samoa.

Concerns centre on the way food, water and other aid is handled after it is delivered to Apia's Disaster Management Office, set up by the Samoan Government following the tsunami.

A spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully said he was concerned about the claims, but they did not appear to relate to material assistance sent by the Government, which was distributed by agencies such as the Red Cross.

But the allegations do relate to aid shipped privately from New Zealand churches, groups and individuals.

Carolina Filipo, of Lower Hutt, who has just returned from visiting family in the south coast where the tsunami hit hardest, said that nearly four weeks after the disaster, there were scores of people without adequate shelter.

"It's been like a month, and there's still some people there that are living in tarpaulins, not proper tents."

She had been told of families going for days without water.

Porirua Deputy Mayor Litea Ah Hoi, who visited each destroyed village last week, said there were serious problems with aid distribution.

In some villages, the leader was giving food and water to everyone, rather than those most in need.

In other cases, they would keep some aid for themselves and there were reports of outright rorts among some distributors.

"There are some horror stories in Samoa about truckloads full of goods that are supposed to be taken directly to the villages and the deliverers are actually selling them off into shops, which I just find completely appalling and unacceptable."

She raised her concerns with Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele and urged him to publicly call on village leaders and those distributing aid to ensure it got to the families who needed it.

Mr Sailele could not be contacted yesterday, but according to a report in the Samoa Observer last week, he wants to hush up the claims, saying publicising them was irresponsible and would harm the aid effort.

Mr McCully's spokesman suggested the aid claims could be raised with the Samoan Government.

"Certainly, any concerns brought to our attention, we'd look into them as best we can, but that's obviously accepting the fact that it appears that these allegations don't directly involve New Zealand Government supplies."

The Government has pledged $7 million in aid to Samoa, including $2 million worth of items sent immediately after the tsunami.

This included food, water, tents, stretchers and other supplies distributed through aid agencies.

The multi-role ship Canterbury took up more supplies, including 540 fale poles, telephone poles, plumbing and electrical supplies and water piping for the rebuilding effort.

Kelly Mitchell, of the New Zealand Red Cross, said every cent raised in New Zealand went to the Red Cross in Samoa. New Zealand had so far sent $200,000 and had another $1.5m ready to go.

The money would be used for the long-term effort needed to rebuild villages.