International Medical Corps was on the ground in Vanuatu in less than 72 hours after Cyclone Pam carved a path of destruction through the South Pacific island nation, leaving thousands without shelter, medical care, food or water. International Medical Corps’ Emergency Response Team (ERT) deployed to Ambrym and Paama islands, two of the most damaged locations. Our two mobile medical units performed a total of 1,412 patient consultations. The need for medical attention was high including management of chronic conditions, upper respiratory infections, and dental issues.
Due to rough sea conditions, our team flew two air caravans from Port Vila to Amrbym to deliver 1000 emergency water, sanitation and hygiene kits and 96,000 water purification tablets. These provisions will cover every household for the next two months. In the coming days, we will continue to distribute an additional 809 kits including chlorine tablets in north Ambrym.