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.”