New Zealand rescue team heading to Vanuatu cyclone zone

New Zealand is to send a 14- strong urban search and rescue (USAR) team to Vanuatu to help the Pacific island nation's recovery from Tropical Cyclone Pam.
The team would focus its efforts on the island of Epi, to the north of the capital Port Vila, said Paul Baxter, national commander of the New Zealand Fire Service, which oversees the country's USAR capability.
The team would operate from New Zealand navy supply vessel HMNZS Canterbury, which was in Vanuatu with nearly 12 tonnes of medical supplies and equipment for producing drinking water, Baxter said in a statement Wednesday.
Ten team members would operate equipment to supply residents of Epi with 20,000 liters of water a day.
The other four would provide logistical support to a New Zealand medical assistance team, which would be based on Epi and would provide a range of services to the island's 5,000 residents.
The two-week deployment was part of a wider package of assistance by New Zealand.
A USAR logistics expert flew to Vanuatu, along with a Ministry of Health official, immediately after the cyclone struck to assess the best way to provide help.
Tropical Cyclone Pam killed 24 people and left thousands homeless when it struck Vanuatu earlier this month.