2015-03-17 15:26:00

Cyclone Pam creates humanitarian emergency in Vanuatu


(Vatican Radio) The bishop of Vanuatu has described a “frightening” scene in the aftermath of a massive cyclone which has left at around a dozen people dead and thousands displaced.

The United nations has reported at least 11 people killed by the storm, lowering their earlier estimate from 24 people.

Listen to Ann Schneible’s report:

Meanwhile, some 3,300 people have been driven from their homes in the wake of Cyclone Pam which swept through the South Pacific archipelago over the weekend.

Speaking from the island of Port-Vila, Bishop John Bosco Baremes told Vatican Radio that while the damage he witnessed from the storm was significant, there were reports of destruction being more extensive on the other islands.

“Those on the other islands,” he said suffered greater damage, according to reports. Nonetheless, he added: “What we have in Port-Vila is big, and even frightening.”

The bishop of Port-Vila, the country’s capital, said Church leaders in the area are working on ways to best help those affected by the storm. He said the first matter of business is to provide those affected with basic needs, such as food, shelter, and clothing.

Humanitarian relief agencies began emergency flights on Tuesday to help those in the country’s outer islands most affected by the storm.

Vanuatu has a population of 267,000, with 30,000 people living on Tanna, an island located directly in the path of the cyclone.








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