The United Nations says Vanuatu is in critical need of more aid to ensure people have access to shelter, clean water and food over the next three months.
Transcript
The United Nations says Vanuatu is in critical need of more aid to ensure people have access to shelter, clean water and food over the next three months.
The Vanuatu government, in coordination with the United Nations, has launched its Flash Appeal, calling for almost US$30 million to help it deal with the aftermath of the storm until 24 June.
It says 166,000 people are in urgent need of life-saving assistance.
The United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Vanuatu, Oznat Lubrani, told Mary Baines this appeal is on top of what has already been raised.
OZNAT LUBRANI: The assets that currently are there in terms of transportation are for a very limited time, and at the same time some of the supplies need to be delivered to these quite remote islands and that has to continue for a while.
MARY BAINES: I guess the challenge is to ensure that aid does keep flowing in, and that the needs of Vanuatu's people aren't forgotten in the next few weeks.
OL: Exactly, and I think that's where the Flash Appeal, we're hoping will sustain the necessary attention that has to remain on Vanuatu over the coming period. When you look at such a small country and such an incredible scope of the devastation, then certainly attention has to focus on the immediate humanitarian needs. What has happened here has really affected people's life systems. The Vanuatu people are incredibly resilient. People are already picking up and trying with their own community efforts to pick up their lives. Because the vegetation has been so destroyed, this means people are going to have food insecurity problems for a while until they can replant. And also this means a big impact on livelihoods. That's where over the coming period we do need to provide that immediate humanitarian support but also the early recovery.
MB: How long do you think it's going to take Vanuatu to recover from Cyclone Pam?
OL: The first immediate phase I would say is really about life saving activities. We do not want children particularly young children to become sick, we do not want to shift focus from those immediate needs from nutrition and health to keep people sustained. But then into the longer term we think there needs to be an effort to rebuild and even strengthen systems and regenerate opportunities for livelihoods so that in the next 12 months or so there can be gradual recovery. That's certainly a commitment, that's what we are looking into already at this phase.
MB: Some communities haven't received aid yet. We spoke to a chief in Erromango who said they were still waiting for aid. Is this common?
OL: I think we are in the next day or so I think supplies are out. If I can mention for example the New Zealand Canterbury is just arriving on its way to the Shepherd Islands, there are other planes that are arriving and are being deployed. So yes, I do acknowledge that maybe in some places people are still waiting and are anxious but supplies are on the way.
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