NZ sends defence aircraft to PNG after Cyclone Maila hits Pacific communities

New Zealand is sending a defence aircraft to Papua New Guinea with emergency supplies after Tropical Cyclone Maila caused widespread destruction across the Pacific.

Foreign Affairs Minister Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters says Aotearoa is moving quickly to support PNG following the cyclone, which also hit the Solomon Islands last week.

In a post on X, Peters says a defence aircraft, the C-130J, is on route carrying relief supplies for some of the hardest hit communities.

“Our High Commission in Port Moresby is working closely with authorities in Papua New Guinea to assess any further humanitarian needs and support,” Peters said in a post.

The cyclone has caused significant damage in remote parts of Papua New Guinea, including Milne Bay Province, where some communities remain difficult to reach and are only accessible by boat or small aircraft.

Fatalities currently sit at 11 with most deaths reported in PNG’s autonomous region, Bougainville, from landslides and flooding.

New Zealand says its response is part of ongoing Pacific disaster support, with defence assets and humanitarian aid regularly deployed after major storms in the region.

Australia has announced A$2.5 million (NZ$3m) in humanitarian assistance to the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.

An initial A$1.5m (NZ$2m) will go to the Solomon Islands where remote communities in Western and Choiseul provinces have been badly affected.

Winston Peters visited Papua New Guinea in 2024. He is pictured with Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko. Photo/PMN News/Ala Vailala

A further A$1m (NZ$1.5m) will support Papua New Guinea’s response including areas in Bougainville and Milne Bay Province.

The Solomon Islands also felt the effects with strong wind warnings for waters of its Western Province.

In Kavieng, authorities say Cyclone Maila may be the most destructive storm in New Ireland Province’s history, highlighting the scale of damage across northern PNG.

Watch devastating Cyclone Maila ravages New Ireland Province below.

New Ireland Province sits in Papua New Guinea’s far north-east and includes a long, narrow island and surrounding outer islands.

Authorities in Papua New Guinea are still assessing the full extent of the damage including homes, transport links cut off, and disrupted essential services as recovery efforts continue across remote communities.