Red Cross Distributes Aid in Vanuatu

Red Cross Distributes Aid in Vanuatu

On Friday, Red Cross was the first organisation sanctioned by the Government of Vanuatu to begin relief distributions to communities devastated by Cyclone Pam.

Relief items included tarpaulins, tools for repairing homes, sleeping mats, lamps, kitchen equipment and personal hygiene items. Distributions will be scaled up in the coming days and weeks.

Red Cross’ emphasis during the first week of the emergency was on supporting people in evacuation centres, mobilising relief materials and conducting joint needs assessments to ensure relief is delivered where it is needed most urgently.

The immediate focus for Red Cross is now on meeting emergency needs in Tanna Island, Efate Island including Port Vila, the Sheppard Island group, Paama and Ambyra Island.

This will include the distribution of essential household items, tarpaulins, shelter toolkits, safe drinking water and health and first aid programs.

Red Cross will also be rolling out longer term recovery projects to support the stronger and safer rebuilding of damaged homes.

Restoration and strengthening of livelihoods will also be crucial due to the significant damage to crops, livestock and fisheries.

Red Cross has a long history of working in disaster risk reduction and emergency response in Vanuatu.

NATIONAL OFFICE

69 Molesworth Street PO BOX 12140

WELLINGTON 6041 NEW ZEALAND

TELEPHONE +64 4 471 8250 EMAIL hello@redcross.org.nz

www.redcross.org.nz

@NZRedCross facebook.com/newzealandredcross

With a wide network of community volunteers in all provinces, Red Cross worked with the authorities to conduct evacuations before the cyclone hit Vanuatu and broadcast important messages warning people to evacuate over local radio.

These investments in early warning and early action paid off, most people were able to evacuate to safety and loss of life was low. Lives were saved thanks to meteorological data, good communication and fast action by trained volunteers in local communities.

New Zealand Red Cross aid worker Hanna Butler was at the first distribution of relief items in Eton. She met Enia, a young mother, whose home was flattened by Cyclone Pam. Enia received a Red Cross family kit, which came from the New Zealand Red Cross warehouse in Auckland. Here is her story.

“On Friday at 7pm the wind started to blow. By 9pm it became very, very strong. Then the house started to fall apart around us and we fled to the evacuation centre, a safer place.

I knew my house wasn’t strong enough. It just had corrugated iron walls and a thatched roof. I left the house with all that I could carry, which was my four children. Everything else I left behind.

All through the night the wind became stronger and we were not able to sleep. A tree fell on the roof of the evacuation centre and my children were very frightened.

When I came back the next day I found bits of my house scattered everywhere. I felt sad, everything was ruined.

On Sunday I started to clean up, we rebuilt the kitchen, and now we have some shelter but we are sleeping with the neighbours together with three other families.

We plan to rebuild. Our community is strong and we have formed a working group, we are helping to rebuild each other houses. We have already rebuilt five. I get strength from my community.

We have enough water, but food will be a problem, we are eating the fruit that fell on the ground, it will last another two weeks. Our garden has been destroyed so we will have to buy food. Luckily my husband has a job, so we will see what we can do.

We are managing. The kids are not at school and I have no idea when it will re-open. There are still people living in the school, it was used as an evacuation centre.”

ENDS

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