More funds for stricken areas

New Zealand is set to announce more aid for tsunami-stricken Asian countries, Foreign Minister Phil Goff has said.

So far the Government has pledged an aid package of up to $5 million and a further $300,000 to cover the cost of a private helicopter, military aircraft and medical teams.

But Mr Goff said last night there was "every chance" of more aid given the scale of the disaster.

Worldwide, donors have already pledged more than US$2 billion ($2.79 billion).

He would discuss increasing the aid package with Prime Minister Helen Clark at Auckland Airport this morning as he leaves for Asia and she arrives home from her holiday, believed to have been in Norway.

Mr Goff said it was possible the Prime Minister would make an announcement on aid today.

The Prime Minister will join Mr Goff at a summit in Jakarta on Thursday to discuss aid distribution and reconstruction.

Before the summit, Mr Goff will visit Phuket and meet members of New Zealand's disaster victim identification and emergency response teams. He will visit the Phang Nga mortuary to see the team at work.

"It's not something I'm particularly looking forward to, I've got to say."

He would also attempt to get to the Khao Lak township to see the devastation.

From Thailand he would join Helen Clark and world leaders, including US Secretary of State Colin Powell and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, at the summit.

As well as reconstruction, also on the agenda is a possible tsunami warning system for the Indian Ocean similar to that already in place in the Pacific.

Mr Goff said the summit would also have strong symbolic value by recognising the severity of the disaster's impact and to show solidarity with affected countries.

After the meeting he would attempt to get into the devastated Indonesian province of Aceh, but only if there was space available on an aircraft and he did not displace badly needed relief supplies or personnel.

A Royal New Zealand Air Force Hercules is flying to Aceh to deliver relief supplies and workers to help with the recovery operation.

Meanwhile an Air Force Boeing 757 is now flying from Australia to Indonesia on a supply run.

A spokeswoman said such was the scale of the disaster that the aircraft would probably be transporting supplies until later this month.

Half of a 30-strong Defence Force medical team arrived in Malaysia yesterday, with the other half en route.

They will join an Australian Defence Force Health Support Company before deploying to Indonesia in the next 48 hours or so.