ReliefWeb

The government and international community must act now to prevent the country’s children from becoming a lost generation, Save the Children said after publishing its latest household survey.

The demand for mental health and psychosocial support and care is immense, and in some areas where access is difficult, it can put the most affected at even higher risk of mental health challenges.

Port Vila and Tanna felt the brunt of the cyclone, with power outages and water cuts in some of the worst affected communities. An estimated 160,000 people have been affected.

Experts believe the situation is getting worse and that the international community should pay greater attention by extending their support to avoid a calamity and repeat of the 2011-2012 famine.

UNICEF has so far reached nearly 277,000 people - including more than 163,000 children - with lifesaving supplies, including hygiene kits, winter clothes, electrical heaters and blankets.

IFRC and Pakistan Red Crescent Society have launched cash and voucher assistance to meet the urgent needs of the people most at-risk, delivering more than CHF 420,000 to 5,600 families so far.

Failed rains and lingering conflict have driven more than 110,000 Somalis across the border in the past two years into Kenyan camps already struggling to cope with drought.

Nearly 2,000 homes are still destroyed following multiple escalations over the last decade. Many families stay with relatives in overcrowded conditions and are at risk of winter-related illnesses.