New Zealand will provide up to $100,000 in aid to Fiji in the wake of floods that have left seven people dead. However the money will go directly to the Red Cross rather than the Fijian Government, which New Zealand has maintained sanctions again since the 2006 coup which installed Commodore Frank Bainimarama as a military dictator. The sanctions include excluding Fiji from a the guest worker scheme for short-term seasonal workers from the Pacific, and discontinuing scholarships to Fijian students. At the time sanctions were imposted the then Labour government stated:

These measures reflect New Zealand’s abhorrence of the actions taken by the Fijian military. Those actions are a tragedy for Fiji. New Zealand now has no option but to respond further to this completely unacceptable and unconstitutional action by the Republic of Fiji Military Force.

The sanctions have not been supported by Fijians however, Prof. Biman Prasad of the University of the South Pacific told the International Press Service that the ‘international community’ should bare in mind that sanctions my be counterproductive. Prasad said that the decision to suspend Fiji from the guest worker scheme was unfortunate as it comes at a time when the country is in great need of such employment creating initiatives. adding that the move would have no effect on the military which toppled Fiji’s elected government but punish the poor and the unemployed.
The Coalition for Democracy and Peace, consisting of citizens’ groups and non-government organisations, had earlier said that the poor would be most affected by sanctions imposed by New Zealand.

Removing scholarships and access to guest work scheme will affect poor people and not the military...This shifts the negative impact of the military takeover on to ordinary citizens.