Fiji

The category five storm tore through the Lau group early in the morning on Saturday before last, at 22 kilometres per hour.

Commander Humphrey Tawake said it's the first time in living memory that such a strong cyclone hit at the same time as minor earthquakes, sea surges and tidal waves.

They say it is a chance to reset the still troubled relationship between Fiji and its biggest neighbours Australia and New Zealand.

New Zealand and Australia sped to help Fiji after it took a massive hit from Cyclone Winston last month, killing 43 people and leaving thousands homeless.

The Council says it conducted a snap survey around the main urban centres which showed basic food items such as potatoes, garlic, flour, oil, salt, blue peas, dhal, breakfast crackers and sugar were not on the shelves.

It says supermarkets have advised the Council that they were facing difficulties in re-stocking their shelves due to high demand from consumers.

New Zealand's Foreign Minister Murray McCully visited Fiji Monday and said New Zealand's aid was starting to make an impact.

He said it will be a long recovery process for Fiji and New Zealand was doing what it could to help.

New Zealand has boosted its support to Fiji after Cyclone Winston by another US$1 million, taking its aid package to just over US$3 million.

McCully said most of the extra $US1 million in aid will help repair the badly damaged electricity grid.

The remaining third would go towards additional relief supplies and technical support.

The funds will immediately be made available from EU-SPC projects for communities and businesses in the most severely affected regions of Fiji.

The Director of Fiji's National Disaster Management Office, Akapusi Tuifagalele, told Fiji media the latest victim is from Koro Island.

The victim died at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva.

FBC news reported there were now 54, 615 people in 899 evacuation centres.

This contribution builds on earlier assistance which delivered lifesaving support to people across the country within 48 hours of the cyclone.

Bainimarama says their priority remains to provide basic necessities and restore essential services within these thirty-days and then they will decide on the next step from there on.

Spokesperson Ewan Perrin said that number continued to rise as communication was restored to affected areas.

Mr Perrin said, at this stage, there was enough aid in the evacuation centres to go around.

Melino Maka is chair of the Tongan Advisory Council and is part of the Red Cross Pacific team.

Mr Maka said the large Pacific community in Auckland can't understand why they were not able to send private contributions of aid on the two naval vessels being sent to Fiji.