Two days after a powerful cyclone tore through the small archipelago in the South Pacific, donor support has started to pour in and aid agencies have begun humanitarian work on the ground.
Australia and New Zealand, the two largest donors to Vanuatu, flew in emergency humanitarian supplies and medical teams over the weekend. They also sent teams to assess the extent of the damage not just in the capital Port Vila, but in neighboring cities and islands as well.
Cyclone Pam made landfall late Friday evening in Tanna, a small island 200 kilometers south of the capital city. Tanna felt the full force of the category 5 cyclone, and while a full assessment of the damage in the island is not yet available, early reports suggest “devastation on a massive scale.”
About the authors
Lisa Cornish@lisa_cornish
Lisa Cornish is a freelance data journalist based in Canberra, Australia. Lisa formerly worked with News Corp Australia as a data journalist for the national network and was published throughout Australia in major metropolitan and regional newspapers, including the Daily Telegraph in Melbourne, Herald Sun in Melbourne, Courier-Mail in Brisbane and online through news.com.au. Lisa has recently been awarded the 2014 Journalist of the Year by the New South Wales Institute of Surveyors.
Aimee Rae Ocampo
As former Devex editor for business insight, Aimee created and managed multimedia content and cutting-edge analysis for executives in international development.