Cyclone Pam causes ‘unbelievable destruction’ and death in Vanuatu

By MiNDFOOD

Cyclone Pam causes ‘unbelievable destruction’ and death in Vanuatu
Vanuatu has been left devastated after Tropical Cyclone Pam tore through the small Pacific Nation.

Emergency aid and relief supplies have already begun to arrive after the cyclone tore through the island nation, killing at least 24 people.

Locals are describing the event as “the worst natural disaster in living memory”.

The last major cyclone to hit Vanuatu was in 1987 but even local charity director Tim Nelson agrees it was nothing like Cyclone Pam.

The Save The Children director told reporters that up to 150,000 people had been affected by the cyclone, with 42,000 homes damaged.

“It was incomprehensible what was bearing down,” Nelson said.

“No one here in living memory has seen anything like this.”

“I imagine the number of casualties and fatalities unfortunately are likely to rise,” he said.

“We know of thousands in evacuation centres.The water is contaminated and we are not sure people have got the message they can’t drink the water. A hospital has lost its roofing, there is a shortage of beds and most worrying, the medical repository where they house their drugs has lost [its] roof.”

“These people are resilient, they do most things themselves,” Nelson concluded.

Charity groups have told the media they are doing all they can to get food and supplies into the island nation. Efforts will be helped by the scheduling of commercial flights which are expected to resume today.

With thousand of homes needing to be rebuilt, some say the full recovery from the event would likely take years. it will be months before schools re-open.

The Red Cross in Vanuatu has told reporters that nearly all the houses in Port Vila had been destroyed, and many locals were staying in the evacuation centre.
“We have people everywhere, they’re going in to the evacuation centre,” Red Cross CEO Jacqueline de Gaillarde said.

“We count about 2,000 people but they stay only during the night because in the morning they rush to their place to make sure their belongings are safe.”

“Right now, there is no more rice in town and all those who have gardens have nothing left. And in days to come we are going to face a major issue about food.”

Aid officials have said that the storm was comparable in strength to Typhoon Haiyan, one of the worst natural disasters to hit the Pacific region, which hit the Philippines in 2013 and killed more than 6,000 people.

Witnesses on the ground in Port Vila described seeing sea surges of up to eight metres as well as widespread flooding as the cyclone hit on the weekend.

Footage such as the following, captured by locals, is a first glimpse at the wide spread devastation in the Pacific Nation. Watch:

Take a look at some of the heartbreaking images of the destruction of the Pacific nation and the mess left in the wake of Cyclone Pam:

Headmaster Hatyay and teachers of Central School lay out books to dry in the sun after the roof of the school's library was blown away by Cyclone Pam in Port Vila

Paul Alexander Hatyay (C), the headmaster, and teachers of Central School lay out books to dry in the sun after the roof of the school’s library was blown away by Cyclone Pam in Port Vila

A storekeeper talks about the shortage of food at a grocery store operating without electricity in Port Vila, capital city of the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu

A storekeeper talks about the shortage of food after Cyclone Pam at a grocery store operating without electricity in Port Villa

An aerial view shows homes destroyed by Cyclone Pam in Port Vila, the capital city of the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu

An aerial view shows homes destroyed by Cyclone Pam in Port Vila, the capital city of the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu

A woman carrying a baby stands with children outside homes damaged by Cyclone Pam, on a street surrounded by debris in Port Vila, the capital city of the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu

A woman carrying a baby stands with children outside homes damaged by Cyclone Pam, on a street surrounded by debris in Port Vila

Local resident Adrian Banga looks at his home destroyed by Cyclone Pam in Port Vila, the capital city of the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu

Local resident Adrian Banga looks at his home destroyed by Cyclone Pam in Port Vila

Local resident Adrian Banga stands his home destroyed by Cyclone Pam in Port Vila, the capital city of the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu

Local resident Adrian Banga stands his home destroyed by Cyclone Pam in Port Vila, the capital city of the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu

 

A boy called Samuel kicks a ball as his father Phillip searches through the ruins of their home which was destroyed by Cyclone Pam in Port Vila

A boy called Samuel kicks a ball as his father Phillip searches through the ruins of their home which was destroyed by Cyclone Pam in Port Vila

Local resident Uwen Garae stands in his home damaged by Cyclone Pam in Port Vila, the capital city of the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu

Local resident Uwen Garae stands in his home damaged by Cyclone Pam in Port Vila

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