Oxfam Country Director in Port Vila, Colin Collet van Rooyen said in a statement that "entire communities have been blown away" by the destructive storm.
At least six people have been confirmed dead, but the death toll can rise dramatically once outlying communities across the archipelago are reached, van Rooyen stressed.
The nation's population of over 260,000 is spread over 65 islands. The outer islands are home to 33,000 people and are considered to be extremely vulnerable.
Port Vila is known as the city most exposed to natural disasters in the world because it faces a combination of risks including earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding and tropical cyclones, according to Oxfam.
Tropical Cyclone Pam made a direct hit on Vanuatu's capital Port Vila on Friday. Winds reached 150 mph with gusts peaking at around 200 mph, causing damage to infrastructure, cutting power and leaving debris strewn across the capital.
[sputniknews.com]
15/3/15
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The first aid reports from the outer islands of Vanuatu on Monday painted a picture of utter destruction after a monster cyclone tore through the Pacific island nation....
ReplyDeleteAuthorities in the South Pacific nation were struggling to establish contact with the islands that bore the brunt of Cyclone Pam’s winds of more than 300 kph (185 mph), which flattened buildings, smashed boats and washed away roads and bridges as it struck late on Friday and into Saturday.
The government’s official toll is eight dead and 20 injured but that looks certain to rise, given the extent of the damage. The southern island of Tanna, about 200 km (125 miles) south of the capital, Port Vila, with its 29,000 inhabitants took the full force of the category 5 storm.
Early reports from aid groups said it had been devastated, along with the main town on the southern island of Erromango. A clean-up was under way in Port Vila, where seas were reported to have surged as high as 8 metres (26 feet), with as much as three-quarters of the capital’s houses reported destroyed or severely damaged..............http://www.france24.com/en/20150316-aid-widespread-death-devastation-cyclone-hit-vanuatu/
16/3/15
Death toll after Vanuatu cyclone rises to 24...
ReplyDeleteTwenty-four people were killed in Vanuatu by Cyclone Pam which tore through the Pacific nation packing winds of up to 320km/h, the UN said.
"There are 24 confirmed fatalities, 11 from Tafea, eight from Efate and five from Tanna," the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a situation report.
Vanuatu's president said his island nation needs the world's help to rebuild "everything" after it was hit by one of the most powerful storms ever recorded.............http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0316/687377-cyclone/
16/3/15