Vanuatu: Tropical Cyclone Pam Situation Report No. 17 (as of 8 April 2015)

Highlights

• The first round of distributions is nearing completion, with emergency food assistance having been distributed in 20 of the 23 targeted islands. Almost 800 metric tons of food have been procured for the second round of distributions.

• The Government-led assessment has been finalized. More than 130 enumerators identified humanitarian needs, response and gaps across the affected areas.

• 30,000 school-aged children have been affected across the country. In Tanna Island, some schools still function as evacuation centres.

• The WASH Cluster has prioritised the Shepherd Islands for emergency water supply interventions and tarpaulin distributions.

166,000 People affected on 22 islands

110,000 People in need of clean drinking water

30,000 school-age children affected

20,000 People received hygiene kits

50,000 People received emergency shelter assistance

800 MT of food procured for the next round of distributions

Situation Overview

The first round of food distributions is nearing completion, with emergency food assistance having been dispatched to reach more than 180,000 people in 20 of the 23 targeted islands. Food distributions are still underway in the islands of Pentecost, Maewo and Tanna, as well as in the urban the and peri-urban areas of the capital Port Vila.

Almost 800 metric tons of food have been procured for the second round of distributions.
The Government-led Second Phase Harmonised Assessment was finalised on 8 April. A total of 132 enumerators from numerous Government agencies and partners assessed the level of damage, humanitarian needs and response across 22 affected islands. A comprehensive report will be issued on 16 April and will inform humanitarian response, early recovery planning and the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) report.

Worrying reports are emerging from Tanna Island, where the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) conducted a joint mission on 6 and 7 April. They visited a number of small evacuation centres, which were ad hoc in nature and were located primarily in schools closest to the village. In Central and West Tanna, displaced people reported making active steps to return to their villages. However, they lacked local construction materials, such as coconut fronds for roofing, and access to other building materials and tools. Local media reports of a child having died in Tanna from acute malnutrition are being investigated by the Nutrition Working Group. Increasing cases of diarrhoea are also reported. The Government and partners are working across all sectors in Tanna, but response is hampered by logistical challenges. The island is far away from Efate where the capital Port Vila is located, extending the time it takes to transport relief supplies. Trucking capacity within the island is also limited. The 70 metric tons of food shipped to Tanna on 6 April will suffice to complete the first round of food distributions there. Twenty-four metric tons of shelter items are also on the way, along with a Mobile Storage Unit (MSU) containing logistics items.