24 Feb 2011

No word yet from worst of Vanuatu's cyclone-hit islands

11:34 am on 24 February 2011

Disaster Management officials are concerned about Vanuatu's southernmost islands which were hit by Cyclone Atu.

The cyclone increased in intensity as it left the Shefa province on Monday - it was upgraded to category four by the time it reached parts of the Tafea region yesterday.

Job Esau from the National Disaster Management office says they haven't been able to assess what kind of damage it's left.

"The only two islands that we are actually worried about is Futuna and Anatom because they actually received a Category four cyclone as it passed the Tafea province. We have not received full details because the communications is not working at the moment."

Job Esau says two ships are travelled to Tafea province yesterday to deliver food, in response to last month's Cyclone Vania, which damaged many crops.