New Zealand requests Australian assistance after Cyclone Gabriel kills five

As New Zealand faces a mammoth clean up after being hit by its worst storm in decades, it has asked Australia for a favour.

New Zealand has requested Australia’s help as the country cleans up from the worst cyclone in decades.

The death toll has risen to five and a state of emergency has been declared after Cyclone Gabrielle battered the North Island.

Widespread flooding and destruction has displaced more than 10,000 people.

Making matters worse, a magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck near Wellington on Wednesday, however no major damage has been reported.

Senior foreign affairs diplomats revealed in senate estimates on Thursday that New Zealand had formally requested aid.

Senator Penny Wong represented the government in the foreign affairs estimates. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

New Zealand has requested Australia’s aid as it begins the clean up following Cyclone Gabrielle. Picture: Kerry Marshall / Getty Images

Elizabeth Peak from the Pacific office said emergency management teams from both countries had been working closely in previous days to ensure support could be offered.

“We set up a national management co-ordination function to be able to respond very quickly when the request came through, and we will certainly do that,” she said.

The government has not yet revealed what its assistance package would look like.

Earlier, estimates heard the department of foreign affairs and trade had been providing consular assistance to about 80 Australians and their families caught up in the Turkiye-Syria earthquake.

Three Australians died in the disaster, which has claimed the lives of more than 40,000 people.