We are going to wrap up this rolling blog for now but please visit here for further news from Vanuatu. The situation on the ground is still very uncertain but as it changes we will be updating our stories.
For a good summary of the events of today so far click here.
Updated
A Facebook page has been set up to try to help those who have lost relatives and friends in the chaos of the aftermath of the storm. The page is in its infancy but already has a number of pleas from residents of Vanuatu as well as relatives of those who have been visiting the country. It can be found here.
Updated
There is still scant news from some of the islands which form Vanuatu. Tanna, which has a population of around 29,000, is said to have been very badly affected. It lay directly in the path of Cyclone Pam. The Australian Red Cross has put out this tweet.
Red Cross reports “utter devastation” on southern island of Tanna with most homes destroyed. #vanuatu 4/5
— Australian Red Cross (@RedCrossAU) March 16, 2015
Meanwhile, if any more evidence was needed of the power of Cyclone Pam, even in its weakened state, here is what it is doing to the east coast of New Zealand.
More than 100 people have now been evacuated as ex-Cyclone Pam hits the East Coast http://t.co/nsbS7nITej pic.twitter.com/UBFLQ5I5lZ
— Newstalk ZB (@NewstalkZB) March 16, 2015
Frances Cook, a political reporter for a New Zealand radio station, was on holiday in Vanuatu when the storm struck. She has documented some of the aftermath in Port Vila.
Major queues for fuel in Port Vila #CyclonePam pic.twitter.com/KMgd1NEbBI
— Frances Cook (@FrancesCook) March 16, 2015
Main market in Port Vila roped off. Nowhere for farmers to sell, but probably nothing to sell either. #CyclonePam pic.twitter.com/QgidW5R7C6
— Frances Cook (@FrancesCook) March 16, 2015
This sums up a weird situation - evacuated resort in the background, what's left of homes in foreground. #CyclonePam pic.twitter.com/V9jb3YX3nv
— Frances Cook (@FrancesCook) March 16, 2015
Updated
Summary
Here’s a round-up of what we know so far, as Vanuatu begins the long process of recovering from the worst cyclone to hit the island chain.
- Six people are confirmed dead in Port Vila and more than 30 injured. There are still no casualty figures from outside the capital.
- Baldwin Lonsdale, Vanuatu’s president, said climate change was contributing to the severe weather his country is experiencing:
We see the level of sea rise … the cyclone seasons, the warm, the rain, all this is affected … This year we have more than in any year … yes, climate change is contributing to this.
- He was backed by Anote Tong, president of Kiribati, who said it was “time to act” on climate change:
For leaders of low-lying island atolls, the hazards of global warming affect our people in different ways, and it is a catastrophe that impinges on our rights … and our survival into the future. There will be a time when the waters will not recede.
- Lonsdale said Vanuatu had been “wiped out” by the catastrophe and would have to build “a new paradise again”.
- Though reports are still sketchy, Tuvalu is thought to have suffered extensive damage, with three islands in Kiribati also affected.
- Reports are filtering in from aid workers on the ground in Vanuatu of widespread devastation. A Unicef officer said it looked as though some areas had been “hit by a bomb”. ADRA Australia reported that most evacuation centres lacked even basic handwashing facilities.
- Two more military aircraft are leaving Australia today for Port Vila, as foreign minister Julie Bishop pledged long-term support for the recovery effort.
- Communications have been almost fully restored in the capital, although outlying islands remain cut off.
- Cyclone Pam – now lessened in intensity – has moved on to New Zealand, where parts of the north island have seen sea swells and gales, and hundreds of people are without power.
The Associated Press has filed a transcript of the interview with Baldwin Lonsdale, president of Vanuatu. You can read our report on this here. I’ve taken from AP the section in which Lonsdale discusses what is know about the scale of destruction in his country:
Q: What is the situation in Vanuatu now?
A: Cyclone Pam has devastated Port Vila. More than 90% of the buildings and houses in Port Vila have been destroyed or damaged. The state of emergency that has been issued is only for Port Vila. Once we receive an update on the extent of the damage in the provinces then another state of emergency will be issued for the outer islands.
Q: Is there an update on casualties and damage?
A: More than 1,000 people have been evacuated to evacuation centres and will be returning to their homes some time later today, if their homes still stand. That’s in Port Vila alone. Confirmed dead in Port Vila is six and more than 30 injuries. I do believe the number of casualties will not be high.
Q: What are the urgent needs for Vanuatu?
A: The first priority is the humanitarian needs. People have lost many of their properties. Clothing, eating utensils, bathing . most of the necessary items of the households, all this has been destroyed and damaged. I really request for humanitarian needs and assistance at this stage. Tarpaulins, water containers, medical needs, gathering tools, construction tools all these are very important right now.
Q: Vanuatu is vulnerable to many disaster risks, including earthquakes, volcanoes, extreme weather and sea level rises due to climate change. Do you see the impact of climate change yourself?
A: Climate change is contributing to the disasters in Vanuatu. We see the level of sea rise. Change in weather patterns. This year we have heavy rain more than every year.
In this video that has been sent to us by World Vision’s Chloe Morrison, who is based in Vanuatu, residents describe the horror of the storm as they survey the damage to their homes.
Kiribati president: 'time to act' on climate change
Anote Tong, president of Kiribati, is at the UN disaster risk conference in Sendai, Japan, and has been speaking about the effects of Cyclone Pam on his country.
Cyclone Pam struck the Pacific … with Vanuatu bearing the full savagery of Pam, with effects also experienced in the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and of course in my country, in Kiribati …
We have heard that precious lives have been lost and a great deal of damage was done to infrastructure: homes, food sources, drinking water and communication and transport devastated.
Because of the scattered nature of the small islands that make up the Pacific island communities, it is not always easy to know full well the extent of the damage … It will take a few days to provide much needed help because no one knows what the situation is in these remote island communities.
It is sad but it is the most vulnerable who have been affected the most and we cannot help them when they need us most.
He extended his condolences to the president of Vanuatu, who is returning home from Japan today.
It is time to act … Let us match the rhetoric of these international gatherings with pledges and commitments as leaders to do our best to improve conditions and lives of those who need it most.
For leaders of low-lying island atolls, the hazards of global warming affect our people in different ways, and it is a catastrophe that impinges on our rights … and our survival into the future.
There will be a time when the waters will not recede.
Climate change has exacerbated the severity of natural disasters and frequency, that is worsening the impact on different communities in different parts of the world.
I argue … that climate change and disasters are so integrated and so related.
You can see the full video of the speech here.
Updated
Bishop: Kiribati and Solomon Islands 'are coping'
Julie Bishop said Australia was also providing some assistance to Tuvalu and was on standby to offer the same to the Solomon Islands and Kiribati, though she said that at present they were believed to be “coping”.
Bishop: Australia 'ready to assist in the long term'
Julie Bishop, Australia’s foreign minister, is speaking about the government’s latest response to the disaster.
She says she is hoping to visit Vanuatu shortly. Outlining the aid dispatched since the cyclone hit this weekend, Bishop stressed that Australia would offer long-term assistance:
We are aware that this has been a most devastating cyclone; the impact will be felt for quite some time … We expect that the impact will be quite severe.
We stand ready to assist in the long-term recovery efforts … We will contnue to invest.
We are longstanding friends of Vanuatu … We have expressed our support to the president … The government of Vanuatu is in no doubt that Australia stands ready to support this Pacific island in its time of need
She denied that wider Australian funding to Vanuatu had been cut.
Bishop set out the current Australian response:
We have now sent three Australian military planes to Port Vila … with humanitarian supplies and teams of personnel.
Today two more military planes will leave Australia and land in Port Vila.
Together with France … we are carrying out surveillance flights in the southern islands of Vanuatu to assess the extent of the damage.
We have a medical team on the ground and they are assessing the situation at Port Vila hospital, which was quite badly damaged in the storm.
Our concern was to get immediate relief to the people of Vanuatu.
Updated
Brisbane flight to Vanuatu cancelled
Although Air Vanuatu successfully flew into Port Vila this morning from Sydney, we are just hearing that Virgin’s planned flight from Brisbane to the island has been cancelled “due to safety concerns”.
Military aircraft have been arriving in Port Vila this morning, too, but commercial aircraft are also essential to the relief effort, carrying aid workers and supplies, as well as reporters.
Some Australians and others in Vanuatu may have been hoping to leave the islands on the outbound flight, too, as Brisbane journalist Katrina Blowers reports:
Virgin's first flt out of Bris to Vanuatu has been cancelled due to safety concerns. I'm told Austns were hoping to fly out at other end.
— Katrina Blowers (@katrinablowers) March 16, 2015
Information is starting to come through from other islands in the South Pacific affected by the cyclone.
This image shows flood waters in Kiribati, from where there are reports that three islands have been severely hit:
Anote Tong, president of Kiribati, is also at the UN disaster risk conference in Sendai, Japan, and has been speaking about the effects of Cyclone Pam on his country. I will listen in and report his speech on this blog shortly.
'Climate change a key factor'
AFP files this report on the comments made by Vanuatu president Baldwin Lonsdale this morning, in which he spoke of the connection between cylone Pam and climate change. You can read more from his interview here. AFP reports:
Vanuatu’s president Baldwin Lonsdale said on Monday that climate change was a key factor in the devastation wrought on the Pacific nation by Super Cyclone Pam, which left six dead and 30 injured in the capital Port Vila alone.
Cyclone Pam smashed into the island archipelago late Friday, bringing sustained winds of more than 250 kilometres (155 miles) per hour and causing widespread damage.
“Climate change is contributing to the disaster in Vanuatu,” he said in comments carried on Australian television ahead of his departure from Japan to Sydney.
Pacific island nations regard themselves as the frontline of climate change, given that as low-lying islands they are dangerously exposed to rising sea levels which they say threaten their very existence.
“This is a very devastating cyclone that has crossed Vanuatu,” Lonsdale said from Sendai, where he had been attending a United Nations conference.
“I term it as a monster. It’s a monster that has hit the republic of Vanuatu,” he said as he called for humanitarian assistance ahead of his departure for Sydney, from where he will travel to Vanuatu.
“It means that we have to start anew again.”
Kenny Ang, an Australian living in Vanuatu, spoke to my colleague Joshua Roberton yesterday. Today he is tweeting as people on the islands attempt to patch their lives together again:
Insanity as Bon Marché opens its doors for the first time since #TCPam hit. pic.twitter.com/XQcz9YuXlI
— Kenny Ang (@kenny_ang) March 16, 2015
Updated
ReliefWeb, part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, has issued a new report on the state of communications and power in Vanuatu.
The Emergency Telecommunications Cluster says that today internet, radio and GSM (mobile phone) communications remain offline across the country, with the exception of the capital, Port Vila, where the network is almost fully restored (read more about that here).
The report goes on:
While information from the provinces and outlying islands is still unavailable, the situation in Port Vila indicates that many homes made of natural and local materials are damaged or destroyed.
It has been reported that Cyclone Pam destroyed all mobile towers except one in Port Vila, resulting in a complete lack of communication between Efate and both north and south provinces. There has also been damage to the HF radio at NDMO [the National Disaster Management Office] preventing them from communicating with any provinces or emergency services or sending community announcements.
Preliminary estimates suggest that up to 80% of power lines are down in Port Vila and will not be fully restored for several weeks.
It says five Telecoms Sans Frontieres responders are on their way to Vanuatu.
Communications in Port Vila 'almost fully restored'
Communications provider Digicel reports that its phone network in Port Vila is now “almost fully restored”, allowing local people to make calls, and send texts and emails.
It says it will now be moving on to the rest of Efate, Tanna, Santo and the other islands.
The lack of communications between the islands is a huge obstacle to the relief effort, as reports from outlying islands have been scarce. Many people have been unable to make contact with friends and family on the islands since cyclone Pam hit.
Digicel says its “off-island fibre connectivity has been fully restored and bandwidth capacity over satellite has been increased by 500%, ensuring domestic towers have sufficient network capacity available”.
It is also deploying public charging stations across Vanuatu for people to recharge their phones. In addition, Digicel says it is providing US$250,000 (AU$328,000/£169,000) in free credit “so that customers can get in touch with their loved ones as services are restored”.
We are beginning to hear more details from relief workers engaged in the difficult early stages of setting up evacuation centres for those displaced by the cyclone.
ADRA Australia, which had staff stationed in Vanuatu before the storm, says it is beginning its role as co-lead for water and sanitation at evacuation centres on Efate, part of the Shefa province, close to Port Vila. It reports that 80% of evacuation centres are without hand-washing facilities, with up to 309 people sharing a toilet.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in the Pacific says it has 40 volunteers in Port Vila working across 26 evacuation centres.
Cyclone Pam has now turned its attentions to New Zealand, where the north island and the Chatham Islands archipelago are experiencing strong winds, heavy rains and sea swells. Cyclone Pam has been downgraded from the category five storm that battered Vanuatu and other Pacific islands, and any damage inflicted in New Zealand is not expected to be on the same scale.
So far, Gisborne in the north-east of New Zealand is worst hit, with some 40 people evacuated from their sea-level homes, and all schools closed. The port is closed and ferry services cancelled.
According to the MetService, there was around 200mm of rain in Gisborne overnight, and 130mm today. Hundreds of people are currently without power.
Satellite image of Cyclone Pam over the North Island. Gusting up to 145 kph at Hicks Bay at the moment. ^EB pic.twitter.com/8WEFBauqAy
— MetService (@MetService) March 16, 2015
Radio New Zealand has live coverage here for those wanting in-depth updates from the region.
Updated
Encouraging news of progress being made in Port Vila, where relief work is underway to restore power and communications in the battered capital.
Digicel says phone network almost fully restored in Vila. Still working on rest of Efate and outer islands. #TCPam
— Sam Bolitho (@SamBolitho) March 16, 2015
Power is slowly - SLOWLY - being turned on. We need to get the water pumps going because the next problem will be mosquitoes. #TCPam
— Kenny Ang (@kenny_ang) March 16, 2015
Information from other Pacific islands beyond Vanuatu is still very sketchy.
Radio New Zealand International says Tuvalu has suffered “extensive damage”:
NZ's foreign minister says he is looking at getting medical supplies to Tuvalu, which has suffered extensive damage http://t.co/qC07gO81ry
— RNZ International (@RNZInews) March 15, 2015
And in Kiribati, three of the southern islands have reportedly been hit:
The Kiribati government says it has reports of severe damage on 3 of the nation's southern islands #CyclonePam http://t.co/aRW91gMKhR
— RNZ International (@RNZInews) March 15, 2015
RNZI quotes a Kirabati government spokesman, Rimon Rimon:
We have reports coming in from three of the southern islands: some have had to move from one side, they’ve been residing on one side of the island and due to the wind and the waves, they had to, all the village had to relocate to the other end.
So it’s affecting their lives, their livelihoods. I think it’s going to take quite a long time for them to get back to normal.
Vanuatu president: 'My heart hurts for the people'
Baldwin Lonsdale, Vanuatu’s president, is speaking in Sendai, Japan, where he is – by coincidence – at the UN world conference on disaster risk reduction.
It was an emotional interview, in which he spoke movingly about being so far from his devastated nation and his plans to return today. He said he had not heard the full extent of the destruction:
We still have to get the full reports from the other islands.
This is a very devastasting cyclone … I term it a monster that has hit Vanuatu.
It is a setback for the government and for the people of Vanuatu … All the development that has taken place has been wiped out … We will have to start again.
Lonsdale said the response from around the world to Vanuatu’s appeals for help had been “fantastic”.
The first priority right now is the humanitarian needs … People have lost their properties, clothing … the necessary items of the household that they need.
As far as food is concerned, we need food right now, but after 2 or 3 months the food [will need to] be provided for people.
He said the country would need tarpaulins, containers, medical supplies and construction tools.
The Japan conference on natural disasters was a good thing, Lonsdale said, adding that “this [the cyclone] is the reality”:
We didn’t know the power or the strength of the cyclone that was coming.
We see the level of sea rise … the cyclone seasons, the warm, the rain, all this is affected …
This year we have more than in any year … yes, climate change is contributing to this.
He said he was keen to return home, as were colleagues who had travelled to Japan with him:
It is more appropriate and right for us to be back in the country … We will be leaving sometime today or tonight.
I am very emotional … Everyone has that same feeling. We don’t know what happened to our families … We cannot reach our families; we do not know if our families are safe.
As the leader of the nation, my heart hurts for the people of the whole nation.
And he asked the world to continue to visit his country:
Vanuatu is a paradise in the world … If you want to see paradise on earth you have to come and see Vanuatu … We will build again the new paradise.
Updated
Two more military planes are scheduled to leave Australia today to deliver aid and support to Vanuatu.
Despite damage to Port Vila’s airport, flights have been able to land and relief is making its way to those affected. But with roads and bridges out of the capital damaged or destroyed, and communications down, it will be slow progress.
Unicef, the UN children’s fund, has issued an update setting out its concerns for the fate of children in the areas hit by the devastating cyclone.
It estimates that at least 60,000 children could be at risk in Vanuatu alone.
Further afield, “hundreds of children” have been affected in Tuvalu, Solomon Islands and Kiribati.
Unicef says some US$3m (AU$3.9m/£2m) is required immediately to address urgent maternal and child health needs, food, water, sanitation, shelter and education.
Oxfam Australia reported yesterday that most schools in the Vanuatu capital, Port Vila, had been damaged.
Updated
Good morning, this is Claire Phipps taking over from Paul Farrell.
I’ll be continuing to cover developments in Vanuatu today, along with news as we have it from other islands affected by Cyclone Pam, and the latest from New Zealand.
I’ll be tweeting key updates @Claire_Phipps. My colleague Joshua Robertson is currently on his way to Vanuatu and you’ll be able to follow his reports @jrojourno.
I’m handing over our continuing coverage of events in Vanuatu to my colleague Claire Phipps. Here’s a summary of events as they stand so far:
- Aid organisations are beginning to report of catastrophic scenes of damage in some parts of the island nation as they begin an assessment of the damage. A Unicef officer said it looked as though some areas had been “hit by a bomb.” Widespread damage has been reported to infrastructure and housing.
- Eight deaths have been confirmed, and it is anticipated this number will rise throughout the day as events unfold. Many people are still unaccounted for, including aid workers. World Vision said on Monday morning that two thirds of their staff were still unaccounted for.
- Australia has pledged a $5m aid package, and promised to provide additional disaster assistance to the stricken nation. New Zealand has also promised $2.5m in additional funding.
Australian Associated Press is also reporting more accounts of the damage in their latest report.
An American law lecturer working in cyclone-ravaged Vanuatu says he is astounded at the optimism shown by locals whose houses have been “wiped from the face of the earth”.
Dr Wes Kendall, who works at the University of the South Pacific, said Cyclone Pam only caused relatively minor damage to his own home at Port Vila when it tore through the region on Friday.
His close friend, however, lives in a nearby village of 3,000 people who have lost everything.
“His house was wiped from the face of the earth,” Dr Kendall told ABC Radio on Monday.
Updated
More reports are starting to emerge of the devastation in Vanuatu as aid groups survey the damage.
Alice Clements, a Unicef communications officer, told the ABC in an interview that the Port Vila province looked as though it had been hit by a bomb.
The country has suffered the most incredibly crippling blow in terms of destruction, absolute devastation and impact on peoples lives.
I’m driving through the streets of Port Vila now and it looks like the town centre has been hit by a bomb.
Updated
The Auckland Civil Defence & Emergency Management team has posted a somewhat wry update as Cyclone Pam passed beyond Auckland.
GOODBYE PAM, REGARDS AUCKLAND @MetService radar showing rain clearing #Auckland #TCPam still affecting parts of NZ pic.twitter.com/WsGQNfsV6O
— Auckland CDEM (@AucklandCDEM) March 15, 2015
350 Pacific has been posting updates about the situation in Vanuatu. The group has also provided a small update on how people can help.
Pacific are overwhelmed by the number of people who are offering to drop everything and go to Vanuatu to assist with the relief work. We have this update to share with those people who have made these offers.
“People/volunteers need to be approved by Vanuatu Humanitarian Team... they will require a CV, and statement of their intent, and a host agency here in Vanuatu. send to van.humanitarian.team@gmail.com. Help will be urgently needed and a call for specific skills we be going out soon.
The food security cluster urgent needs are: (check nab.vu)
Thanks to Luke Ablett for pointing this out.
Updated
Save the Children’s media manager in Australia, Evan Schuurman, has just posted that the first commercial flight into Vanuatu since the cyclone has landed.
Another plane being loaded with Australian aid for #Vanuatu #CyclonePam pic.twitter.com/ZQwTzUXJQ4
— Evan Schuurman (@evanschuurman) March 15, 2015
The first commercial flight into #Vanuatu after #CyclonePam has just landed in Port Vila
— Evan Schuurman (@evanschuurman) March 15, 2015
Niwa Weather has also been providing some further information on the weather conditions as Cyclone Pam shifts southeast of New Zealand.
As #TCPam shifts southeast of NZ, rain will end Auckland & Northland areas as gusty wind remains. Nasty weather Gisborne/Hawke's Bay stays
— Niwa Weather (@NiwaWeather) March 15, 2015
Pretty nasty along the Gisborne coast, reports of sustained winds greater than 90 km/hr or nearly 50 knots = storm force winds.
— Niwa Weather (@NiwaWeather) March 15, 2015
Need to watch East Cape coast (Tokomaru-Tolaga Bay area) re:high tide 2:45-3:00 pm today & swell at highest. Critical watch from 1-3:30 pm
— Niwa Weather (@NiwaWeather) March 15, 2015
The site has also posted a useful chart that shows the highest wind speeds since midnight on Monday.
Where have the highest winds #TCPam been since midnight? Note: these are 10 minute wind speeds NOT gusts. pic.twitter.com/25yrdedEY5
— Niwa Weather (@NiwaWeather) March 15, 2015
For some further context, Vanuatu is a small Pacific Island nation located north-east of Australia and north of New Zealand.
Vanuatu is a republic nation with a president and prime minister. A substantial portion of Vanuatu’s aid has come from Australia, the United Kingdom, France and New Zealand.
It is an archipelagic state, which means it is made up of a number of smaller islands.
Updated
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs also posted a situation report earlier on Monday morning. It provides furthers details on the assessment of damage, displacement and other information. Here are some of the key points from a summary of the report:
Tropical cyclone Pam struck Vanuatu, hitting the capital of Port Vila, as an extremely destructive category 5 cyclone on the evening of 13 March.
Winds are estimated to have reached 250kmph with gusts peaking at around 320kmph, causing serious damage to infrastructure and leaving debris strewn across the capital.
Shefa Province has been declared a state of emergency, with other areas to be determined following aerial assessments.
There are six confirmed fatalities.
In Efate, an estimated 90% of structures are either damaged or destroyed.
More than 2,000 people are sheltering in over 25 evacuation centres in Efate, Torba and Penama.
All commercial flights in and out of Port Vila are currently grounded, with only military flights landing.
Updated
There are some also reports beginning to emerge about missing aid workers who were on the ground when the cyclone passed through.
Stuff.co.nz is reporting that a substantial number of World Vision’s workers are still unaccounted for.
Two thirds of World Vision’s aid workers are currently unaccounted for in the cyclone-ravaged Vanuatu.
Laura Gemmell of World Vision New Zealand said there were 80 World Vision staff stationed in Vanuatu, of which 54 were unaccounted for. She was waiting to board a Hercules aircraft headed to Vanuatu.
“We’re really concerned obviously for our staff and for the people they serve.”
Updated
We’re still waiting for more word to come through from the ground. Aid organisations like the New Zealand Red Cross are playing a substantial role in the effort, along with a number of other organisations. Many of these groups are also en route now.
1200 tarps, 250 shelter kits, 900 water containers & 2 @Federation @NZRedCross aid workers for #Vanuatu #CyclonePam pic.twitter.com/M4Kzj3jEzK
— Hanna Butler (@hannarosebutler) March 15, 2015
Waiting at the air force base in Auckland for the plane to take me and @NZRedCross aid to #Vanuatu #CyclonePam pic.twitter.com/sCL1mtV3rA
— Hanna Butler (@hannarosebutler) March 15, 2015
My colleague Shalailah Medhora in Canberra has also provided this update on some additional comments Australia’s foreign minister Julie Bishop made on Monday morning.
We understand that there are no casualties from Australia. There are no Australians among those listed as casualties, but we are ensuring that we are making contact with all Australians who we know are in Vanuatu.
About 1,400 Australians have registered with the government at this stage. But we expect that at any one time there could be up to 3,000 Australians in Vanuatu.
Updated
Australia is a substantial contributor in aid to many Pacific Island nations. Below is a small graph that shows its contributions to Vanuatu and other countries over time.
Updated
The Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop announced on Sunday that Australia would be providing a substantial aid package to the stricken country. Here’s a short summary of the key points from the initial aid package from Bishop’s release:
- $5m to assist the efforts of Australian non-government organisations, the Red Cross and United Nations partners.
- The deployment of humanitarian supplies from Australia to assist up to 5,000 people, including water and sanitation and shelter kits.
- The deployment of an Australian medical team and an urban search and rescue assessment team.
- The deployment of a Dfat crisis response team, comprising eight officials to boost consular support to Australian citizens and coordinate Australia’s humanitarian assistance.
- The deployment of an Australian disaster expert to the United Nations disaster assessment and coordination team.
Updated
Many aid and relief workers are still finding their way to areas of Vanuatu affected by the cyclone.
Relief workers and Media wait for flights to Vila from Whenua Pai. Much needed relief supplies are being flown first pic.twitter.com/zCnZBJ13Gj
— RNZ International (@RNZInews) March 15, 2015
New Zealand has also announced it will be contributing to the aid effort. It has now pledged $NZ2.5m of funding, and is also providing assistance from the navy and airforce.
Royal NZ Airforce C130 just taken off from Auckland loaded with supplies bound for #Vanuatu #CyclonePam pic.twitter.com/WrevSZiQuG
— Mark Stone (@Stone_SkyNews) March 15, 2015
The extent of the devastation in Vanuatu is still to be determined, and we’ll continue to provide you with updates throughout the day. Our Brisbane correspondent Joshua Robertson is currently en route to provide updates from the ground.
Here’s his latest report from Sunday evening:
The first aid agencies to reach Vanuatu reported a scene of widespread devastation on Sunday after a huge cyclone tore through the Pacific island nation, leaving thousands homeless. Dozens are feared to have died.
Air force planes began to arrive with supplies from Australia and New Zealand as officials struggled to establish the full scale of the disaster, thought to have affected more than 265,000 people spread over 65 islands. President Baldwin Lonsdale said the “monster” Cyclone Pam had wiped out most buildings in the capital Port Vila, including schools and clinics.
Making an impassioned plea for international help from the World Conference on Disaster Risk and Reduction in Japan, Lonsdale appealed for international support. “I am speaking to you today with a heart that is so heavy,” he said in a televised address. “I stand to appeal on behalf of the government and the people to give a helping hand in this disaster.”
Aid agencies said that more than 2,000 people were sheltering in 25 evacuation centres on the island of Efate as well as in Torba and Penama provinces after their homes were destroyed by the category-five cyclone.
Welcome to our rolling coverage of events in Vanuatu after cyclone Pam tore through the island nation this weekend. We’ll be bringing you the latest updates of events as they continue to develop, but here is a short summary so far:
- Aid agencies have begun to arrive on the pacific island nation, amid scenes of widespread devastation. The confirmed death toll last stood at eight, however that number is expected to rise in coming days.
- The New Zealand Red Cross has estimated that approximately 103,000 people in Vanuata have been affected by the cyclone, with substantial losses to infrastructure and housing.
- Neighbouring Pacific Island nations also faced severe damage from the cyclone, and the prime minister of Tuvalu, Enele Sopoaga, said that around 45% of the population has been displaced.
- The foreign minister Julie Bishop said Australia has promised a $5m aid package and would providing be assistance in the region.
Updated
