Vanuatu: Earthquake - May 2009

Executive summary

In the context of the Asia Pacific zone, its demographic, socio-economic and environmental trends, and the International Federation's strategic priorities, the Pacific region covers a vast geographical area comprising thousands of islands and atolls. The majority of Pacific island countries contend with the challenges of smallness and geographic isolation. The Pacific island countries are the most heavily aid-assisted part of the world on a per capita basis.

Executive summary

The Asia Pacific region is home to more than half of the world's population, the majority of whom are poor and among the most disadvantaged in the world. Some 600 million women, men and children in the region live below the USD 1 a day poverty line, while 1.8 billion survive on less than USD 2 a day. Compounding the situation, the region is also highly disaster-prone. The diversity, scale and frequency of natural disasters across the region are daunting.

Training is being held in Vanuatu aimed at improving the disaster response efforts of teachers.

UNICEF and Save the Children are co-hosting a workshop in Port Vila, with delegations travelling from Fiji, Kiribati and the Solomon Islands.

Donner Herder from UNICEF's Pacific headquarters in Suva told Radio Australia's Pacific Beat program the training will help teachers handle children during and after a disaster.

"Children are more vulnerable," she said.

"They're not aware of what's happening in a disaster."

"Teachers need to be …

This report covers the period 1 January 2009 to 30 June 2009.

In brief

Programme summary:

The Pacific regional office works with and supports a total of 12 national societies and two in formation in the region, including Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati Islands, Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

In this reporting period, the regional office continues to engage with national societies in the region on disaster management, health and care as well as organizational …

GENERAL INFORMATION

A 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit the Island of Tongoa on 29 May 2009, at 6:20pm. The quake was centred 75km west of Port Vila and had a depth of 29.8 miles. Although the epicentre of the quake was on Emae, the island of Tongoa, with an estimated population of 3 000 to 5 000, was most affected, particularly the coast of Akomae, in South East Tongoa to the South West part. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reported that there was no threat of tsunami.