Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

FEMA expected to remain in American Samoa for months

Posted at 01:01 on 26 October, 2009 UTC

The Federal Emergency Management Agency says it expects to be in American Samoa until the begining of next year.

The external Affairs officer for the FEMA Region 9 Office, Kim Walz, annoucend that FEMA has released housing assistance cheques to nearly 900 applicants worth 4.1 million US dollars.

She says more than 729, thousand dollars has been approved for other needs assistance which includes medical, dental and funeral expenses, personal property and vehicles.

She says restoring power remains a high priority for FEMA and 40 generators are now supplying power in different parts of the island.

She told the American Samoa Chamber of Commerce that the government and the private sector need to work together in the rebuilding effort.

“The private sector provides the bulk of support to the community and we have to get them in engaged in disaster response.”