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Vanuatu Residents Traumatised By Quake Afraid To Return To Homes
Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor
Some Vanuatu residents in Port Vila are still too scared to sleep in their own houses as powerful tremors continue to rock the city in the wake of last week's devastating earthquake.
Early on Sunday morning a 6.1 magnitude quake shook many in the capital awake.
The chairman of the seaside community disaster committee, Tom Alick Noel, said some people in their community had erected tents in open spaces to sleep in.
"Some families are still afraid to go back to their homes, so they set up these small tents to sleep in them outside; because we are still feeling strong aftershocks from the big earthquake that struck us last Tuesday," he said.
The president of the Central Ward's council of women, Enneth Fred, said they would stay there as long as the state of emergency remained in place.
Community leaders across the Vanuatu capital are trying to take people's minds off the 7.3 magnitude earthquake.
They have organised daily devotions to bring people together and games and activities for children to try and get them back to just being kids.
Enneth Fred said it was difficult seeing the looks on people's faces after the quake.
"In my community, especially on women's faces you can see tears, you can see fear, you can see panic attacks and it still haunts them," she said.
She said the community events are about bringing everyone together, so no one feels like they are facing things alone.
Fred was at the top floor of a multi-story building when the quake struck.
"I survived the earthquake and it was a very scary experience and one that I will never forget in my life," she said.
She hoped everyone would learn from the experience.
"I believe it will help us to look at constructing our buildings better in the future so that we can avoid the situation we faced during the earthquake," she said.
The death toll has been updated to 12 in the most recent official report.
Meanwhile, local authorities are urging communities living near landslips and flood-prone areas to relocate to safer ground ahead of several days of stormy weather forecast to start on Monday.
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