Cyclone Pam hit the
island archipelago of Vanuatu in the South Pacific on the evening of Friday,
March 13, and into the morning of March 14, 2015. It is the worst reported
cyclone in living history. Vanuatu is about 1,700 kilometres east of Australia.
Other islands, such as the Solomon Islands and Kiribati, were also affected by
strong winds.
To date there
are 11 confirmed deaths. The deaths were believed to be people on yachts in
Port Vila harbour.
Cyclonic winds
were reported at 200-250 kilometres per hour—a category 5 (the highest level)
storm. Accompanying the winds were wave swells up to 12 metres high. Although
the Vanuatu Meteorological Service and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology had
been tracking the cyclone, giving time for people to prepare for the land
strike, the severity of the winds was unexpected. Also, the winds blasted the
island from two directions—the east and the south. Residents had time to board
up their windows and lock down moving parts, but the winds were savage.
The power across
the island ceased around nine in the evening, leaving people without radio,
television, and the Internet. The island is still without power and
communications. In the aftermath, the police declared a state of emergency and
a curfew as people set out to find food, water, and petrol.
Commercial
flights were immediately affected, making it difficult for people to leave the
disaster zone, and also making it difficult for relief aid to enter the region.
However, flights are expected to resume relatively quickly after the winds have
subsided, and departures are likely to be prioritized on the basis of need
(such as for infants, pregnant women, the elderly, and the sick).
Before the cyclone,
many aid agencies and non-government organizations (NGOs) were already present.
Many have supported the people of the island for years and are well entrenched
in the region. These aid agencies are reporting thousands of people seeking
refuge in emergency shelters in the capital Port Vila. Currently they are
assessing the situation in the outlying and remote islands. To date, about 90%
of houses have been damaged, making them unliveable.
Pilots have
commenced flying over the islands of Erromango and Tanna, where they reported
communities to be “flattened.” This was due to the eye of the cyclone moving
directly over Tanna. About 34,000 live on Tanna with a total of about 270,000
people across the entire islands of Vanuatu.
Australian and
New Zealand air force planes have already commenced bringing in essential
items, such as food, shelter, medicine, tarpaulins, water containers,
chainsaws, and generators.
The first thing
aid agencies will do is to assess the situation, review the water and
sanitation, and determine the need for accommodation and relief supplies. These
supplies would be hygiene kits, clean water, and shelter. They will also
commence seeking online donations of money.
What is the best
way to help Vanuatu residents? First, the country is almost completely
devastated and the death toll may increase when a full assessment has been
made. The island archipelago consists of 82 small islands, 65 of which are
inhabited, spread over an area of 1,300 kilometres from north to south. However,
the total population of 270,000 is relatively small and can be targeted. The
governments of Vanuatu and its neighbours have excellent relations and aid is
already forthcoming.
The critical
period, however, is now – certainly up to the next few weeks. Hence, the best
way for individuals and corporations to assist Vanuatu is through the many and
varied existing resident aid agencies already in Vanuatu—with donations of
money that can be made through online calls for emergency assistance, or
through designated legitimate campaigns.
The residents of
Vanuatu are resilient as they have had many earthquakes and natural disasters,
but Cyclone Pam has affected the entire region with such devastating
consequences. Reaching out to the people of Vanuatu can go a long way to
achieving maximum emergency relief and support.
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