SYDNEY, April 20 (Reuters) - Australia said on Wednesday it will more than double its emergency aid to nearby Fiji following a deadly super cyclone, pledging A$20 million ($16 million) to help it rebuild vital infrastructure and prepare for future disasters.
The spending adds to the A$15 million Australia has already given Fiji following the disaster two months ago, and ensures its South Pacific neighbour can continue its recovery after an Australian Defence Force emergency contingent withdraws in the next few days.
Cyclone Winston, the worst storm recorded in the southern hemisphere, hit Fiji especially hard in February, killing 43 people and leaving tens of thousands homeless. country is now winding down its declared state of natural disaster and Australia's 1,000-person military contingent is now leaving, Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop and Defence Minister Marise Payne said in a statement.
The Australian contingent has provided supplies and healthcare to about 200,000 Fijians, they said, almost a quarter of the country's 900,000 population.
The new funding will go towards rebuilding schools and medical clinics and restoring damaged water and sanitation services, they added. ($1 = 1.2816 Australian dollars)