NZ pledges aid for Phl earthquake relief

WELLINGTON (Xinhua) - The New Zealand government pledged today $710,841 in aid to the Philippines to help with relief efforts after last month's 7.2- magnitude earthquake and flooding.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully said New Zealand was responding to a United Nations appeal after an assessment found recovery needs were greater than first though.

"New Zealand's assistance package includes NZ$500,000 to the UN, to be delivered by UNICEF, and NZ$100,000 for New Zealand technical expertise to help further assess quake damage and prepare for reconstruction work," McCully said in a statement.

A further $206,775 was being provided for urgent water, sanitation and hygiene facilities for the conflict-displaced population of Zamboanga City, where flooding had placed significant pressure on emergency shelters and created serious health risks, he said.

An estimated 370,000 people were living in temporary shelters after the quake struck Bohol province on Oct. 15.