Govt criticised over Egypt response

The Government has come under criticism for not doing enough to help New Zealanders stranded in Egypt as the upheaval rages on.

More than 100 people have been killed across Egypt and thousands injured as protesters continue to call on President Hosni Mubarak to resign, dragging the unrest into a seventh day.

A number of countries have sent planes to Cairo to evacuate their citizen, including Australia which yesterday dispatched a chartered Qantas 747, but New Zealand has yet to echo such moves.

Prime Minister John Key said yesterday that dispatching an Air Force 757 was an option, although it was not under consideration at this point.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said there were 295 New Zealanders registered in Egypt, and there were likely to be others who had not registered.

It said Cairo airport was open, and advised New Zealanders in Egypt to leave if it was safe to do so.

But some New Zealanders have been unable to leave as scheduled flights are cancelled or delayed, with one describing the situation at the airport as "chaos".

New Plymouth lawyer Murray Cochrane, whose 32-year-old son Craig has been trying to flee the country, said his son's scheduled flight was cancelled on Sunday, and he was frustrated at having to go back and forth to the airport.

Mr Cochrane told NZPA that he would like the Government to indicate it could assist people if they continued to have difficulty getting flights.

Mr Key said yesterday that the Government was working on the cases of people who had been bumped off flights and was talking to commercial airlines.

"And clearly, our close friends and allies are there in the region, the UK and the United States, and if necessary we will pick up the phone and try and get New Zealanders up the queue."

The response of the New Zealand embassy in Cairo has also come under fire, with an expatriate couple saying they were dismayed by the embassy's lack of assistance.

Kyle and Caroline Brewerton, who moved from Auckland about six months ago, said embassy staff told them to "give it a few days and it'll settle down", the Dominion Post reported.

Mr Brewerton said while other embassies were organising evacuations, "you just get nothing out of ours".

"What happens if it doesn't all blow over...Do we just hope for the best? Or do we have to see a couple of New Zealanders get hurt before anything happens?

"It would be good to see a bit of action."

Mr Key said yesterday it was difficult for New Zealand diplomatic staff in Egypt.

"They haven't been able to work out of their offices so they are actually working from the ambassador's residence," he said.

The embassy's ground floor was damaged in protests over the weekend and was without power.

The Government has also been criticised for not taking a strong stance against Mubarak.

Christchurch man Ahmed Tarek Bahgat Abaza, who with others in the local Egyptian community has organised solidarity rallies in Cathedral Square, yesterday called on New Zealand to show more support.

"The Government needs to say, explicitly, this is not acceptable," he said.

"John Key, I have heard nothing of such things from him."

Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully said yesterday he was concerned by the ongoing violence in Egypt.

"Egypt is at the centre of the Arab world and has long been a force of moderation and leadership in promoting regional peace. Now that same sense of moderation needs to be shown on the streets of Cairo by all parties," he said.

"There is obviously a strong wish among the Egyptian people for a more broadly-based government and for greater freedoms and improved economic conditions and this desire needs to be respected by Egypt's leaders."