Families ‘desperate’ as Vanuatu laments ‘sad state of affairs’

Access to power, water and food remain the key challenges for children and their families in Vanuatu, 10 days after two severe tropical cyclones barrelled through the Pacific nation.

Tropical cyclones Judy and Kevin caused widespread damage to homes, buildings, roads, food gardens, power and telecommunication networks.

The Vanuatu government has estimated the recovery cost at 6 billion vatu, or just over NZ$80 million.

New Zealand’s High Commission in Port Vila is leading the international relief effort by Aotearoa, Australia, Fiji and France.

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Located to the north of New Zealand, Vanuatu is made up of some 83 islands and is home to about 330,000 people.

Vanuatu Prime Minister Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau announced a six-month state of emergency, saying both category 4 storms have left the country in a “sad state of affairs”.

He said 80% of the population has been impacted by the cyclones.

“While communication in the capital Port Vila is up and running, lines to other islands remain cut off,” Kalsakau said.

“Priority is reconnecting power and telecommunication services and getting fresh water to affected areas.”

Save the Children estimated close to 50,000 children have been impacted by the storms.

The charity’s regional director Kim Koch said, “The last week has been incredibly difficult for many families in Vanuatu and while they are receiving support from the government and partner organisations like ours, the needs are great and the logistics challenging.”

During the height of Cyclone Kevin, which made landfall on March 3, just 48 hours after Cyclone Judy, 10-year-old Roseh and his family were forced to flee their home and seek shelter at his school.

“The wind came, the trees fell and we ran into the classrooms. When we went to check our house the next day, everything was damaged,” he said.

“When the winds were strong and loud, I was scared and some babies were crying, but we all stayed inside the classroom.”

Roseh’s mother, Rose, said she carried her children and ran to escape the rising floodwaters around their home.

The family is now living in one of the evacuation centres and have received hygiene kits, shelter kits and basic household items, Koch said.

“The outer islands in Shefa and Tafea provinces are still not fully accessible with charter flights only partially operational, and many boats were damaged from the storm resulting in issues accessing critical support for families.

“Children and their families have had to experience more than anyone should and on top of everything else, the psychological and emotional impact on children of two category-4 cyclones in one week will be immense.

“The climate crisis is a child rights crisis, and the people of Vanuatu are incredibly resilient, but they shouldn’t have to be.”

Koch said the situation in Vanuatu should send a strong signal to the international community on climate action.

“This includes urgently limiting warming temperatures to below 1.5 degrees C, and tangible progress on the agreement at last year’s COP27 climate summit to establish a loss and damage fund for communities that are most vulnerable to the impacts of the climate crisis.”

Most schools have reopened, and Koch said it was important to get the children back in the classrooms as soon as possible.

“It will take time for the children’s lives to be returned to normal,” Koch said.

New Zealand’s initial package of assistance to Vanuatu included a financial contribution of $150,000 and humanitarian supplies, the Government said.

A report by a group of academics is calling on New Zealand, Australia and the United States to partner with, not for, the Pacific when disaster strikes,

“As Vanuatu starts the long road to recovery, it’s an opportune time for Australia, New Zealand and the US to discuss how to improve their collective response to disasters in the region,” the report said.

“If the response to the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption and tsunami in Tonga in January 2022 is an indication, the United Kingdom, China and Japan will assist.

“Within the broader context of strategic competition, disasters have come to be seen as opportunities to demonstrate capacity and commitment in the region.”

The report, Disaster Diplomacy, said as in the case of Tonga, the response to Vanuatu raised key questions about how partners provided assistance.

“These questions are pressing because there’s no regional mechanism to co-ordinate humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.”

The report was co-authored by Joanne Wallis, a professor of international security at the University of Adelaide, Anna Powles senior lecturer in security studies at Massey University and Henrietta McNeil a PhD candidate at the Australian National University and a research associate at the University of Adelaide.