New Zealand is grappling with the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle, the biggest natural disaster the country has faced this century. The storm struck the North Island's northernmost region on February 12, and has left at least 11 people dead so far. The cost of the damage is expected to be more than $8 billion, according to government estimates.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has extended the national state of emergency, which was declared last week for only the third time in New Zealand's history, for a further seven days to assist with recovery and relief efforts.

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Emergency funding of NZ$300 million ($187.08 million) has been allocated to help with the rebuilding process, with more relief and rebuilding funding expected from the government.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson, who has been appointed Cyclone Recovery Minister in addition to his existing portfolio, said that the total cost to the government could be similar to the NZ$13.5 billion spent rebuilding Christchurch after the 2011 earthquake.

The cyclone has caused widespread destruction across the North Island's east coast, and many communities are struggling to recover. Roughly 2,200 people are still unaccounted for, while some areas remain without power and telecommunications.

New Zealand has deployed 60 Starlink satellites, built by Elon Musk's SpaceX, to plug gaps in the telecommunications network. The satellites will help to connect roughly 15,000 people across the North Island who are still without power.

The government's emergency relief package includes NZ$250 million to fix critical roads in the disaster-hit regions, and a further NZ$50 million in emergency support for businesses and primary producers.

Despite the efforts of search and rescue teams, recovery efforts are ongoing, and the number of deaths is expected to rise. Police commissioner Andrew Coster has said that difficulty with communications is hampering efforts to make contact with affected people.

The required investment to reconnect communities and future-proof the nation's infrastructure will be significant, according to Hipkins, who has called for hard decisions to be made. New Zealand is now facing a long and difficult recovery process.

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(Edited by : Soham Shetty)