Wellington - New Zealand and Australia on Friday announced new emergency aid packages for Fiji as officials said nearly 12,000 people were homeless after floods wreaked widespread havoc.
As cleanup efforts began after a week of heavy rains swept torrents of water through towns and villages, killing at least 11 people and ruining 300 businesses, the Pacific island state's military government appealed to 20 countries for help.
The damage was so bad in the tourist centre of Nadi that there were calls to bulldoze shops and restaurants, which have been flooded to roof height twice, and rebuild the town entirely, Radio New Zealand reported from the capital Suva.