23 Jun 2016

Lessons from Cyclone Pam in new Vanuatu report

8:02 am on 23 June 2016

A new report has spelt out the lessons learnt from Cyclone Pam, urging better warning systems and co-ordination between the Vanuatu government and community groups.

Released on Wednesday, the report is a compilation of the views and experiences of those who took part in the relief effort after Pam in March last year.

The category 5 cyclone, which was the worst to ever hit Vanuatu, affected 188,000 people and damaged 96 percent of the country's crops.

The Director General of Vanuatu's Ministry of Climate Change, Jesse Benjamin, said government would do its best to implement the recommendations.

"We will try and do what we can and it is something that, you know, we can learn from and try to incorporate it into our planning so that in future events we are better prepared," Mr Benjamin said.

"I mean we will, that is something that we cannot do much without support from our development partners."

Some of the other recommendations from the 'Vanuatu Lessons Learned Report' include improving evacuation centre management, providing more training for National Emergency Operations Centre staff and better pre-positioning of relief supplies.

The report was compiled after a European Union-funded workshop held in June 2015.

Family in Nikinini community (mother Josephine, and children Angelica (12), Jacquie (9), Jessica (1) and Bojel (8). They have lost everything beacuse of Super Cyclone Pam. The cyclone has affected 60,000 children

Photo: SUPPLIED / Unicef

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