Oxfam is closely monitoring after a cyclone warning was issued for Vanuatu, as numerous provinces brace for damaging gale-force winds and flooding.
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Vanuatu
Cyclone Ula approaches Vanuatu
Tropical Cyclone Ula could bring further heartache to people hit by Cyclone Pam last year as it passes close to Vanuatu’s southern islands this afternoon.
Cyclone Pam 1 month on: clean water still high priority
One month after Cyclone Pam hit Vanuatu, water remains a high priority, with small islands dependent on rainwater most in need, Oxfam said today.
The international aid agency has been trucking clean water to thousands of people to prevent the spread of disease, but efforts are now turning to sustainable solutions that can be managed by communities.
Oxfam Australia Chief Executive Dr Helen Szoke said the people of Vanuatu had shown incredible resilience and were focused on returning to self-sufficiency as soon as possible.
“Cyclone Pam blew water tanks for kilometres in some areas and contaminated water sources, including wells,” Dr Szoke said.
“In the weeks since the cyclone, we have delivered more than 150,000 litres of emergency water to communities on Efate Island to meet their immediate needs.
“We’ve also been pumping out contaminated wells and refilling them with clean water on Ambrym Island, including one at a school. The next phase will be restoring water systems and distributing pipes, pumps and tarpaulins to assist with rainwater harvesting.”
Cyclone Pam made a direct hit on Vanuatu on Friday 13 March, tearing through the archipelago with winds of up to 250 kph. More than 13,000 homes were damaged and people’s livelihoods were devastated.
“With 80 per cent of the population reliant on agricultural production prior to the cyclone, there is urgent need for crops to be replanted,” Dr Szoke said.
“Replanting is essential for long-term food security, so we are providing seeds and tools as well.”
To further combat the threat of preventable diseases, Oxfam has been distributing hygiene kits, reaching a third of the population of Ambrym Island.
Vanuatu – update from Oxfam partner organisation on Tanna
Oxfam has now been able to speak to Hillary Garea, a water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) Officer for the Vanuatu Rural Development Training Centre Association (VRDTCA), Oxfam’s long term WASH partner in Vanuatu.
[Read more…] about Vanuatu – update from Oxfam partner organisation on Tanna
Meet a family you helped in Vanuatu
Oxfam distributed hygiene kits last week at Lycee Bouganville school in Port Vila which is acting as a temporary evacuation centre. Oxfam’s Amy Christian spoke to some of the families sheltering at the school about their experiences when Cyclone Pam hit, and their plans and worries for the future.
Oxfam calls for support as Vanuatu farmers face months without crops
As aid begins to reach communities across Vanuatu, Oxfam New Zealand have spoken to their development partner Farm Support Association (FSA) to understand the longer term impact Cyclone Pam will have on a society which lives mostly off farming. We heard that the cyclone has come at a very bad time; farmers who had planted vegetables would have lost all their crops.
[Read more…] about Oxfam calls for support as Vanuatu farmers face months without crops
