GIZO, Solomon Islands – The Solomon Islands’ government has earmarked over two million US dollars for 3,000 tsunami victims still living in tents in Gizo after their homes were ruined in the 2004 tsunami.  Danny Kennedy, a Housing Relocation Committee member in Gizo, says Solomon Islands’ MP, Gordon Darcey Lilo, is withholding those funds.

“Every time the committee makes a decision and the papers are finalised there’s another issue that crops up,” says Mr. Kennedy.

Mr. Lilo rejects Mr. Kennedy’s claims, saying the money has not been released from the government in Honiara.  According to Mr. Lilo, “It’s still sitting in the treasury of Solomon Islands. The two main reasons are that there are some who have received money from NGO’s for housing funding assistance and they have already built their houses yet they also want to have assistance provided by the government. There’re people from other islands, just for the benefit of money made available for building houses, they just came in and put their names in. These are false claims.”

Mr. Lilo has said he hopes the funds will be released soon.

For more information, please see:

Radio New Zealand International – Solomon’s MP rejects claims of withholding tsunami funds – 12 September 2008