(MENAFN- Caribbean News Global) SUVA, Fifi – A World Food Programme (WFP) chartered flight landed in Vanuatu's capital port Vila on Saturday bringing humanitarian personnel and much-needed telecoms equipment and medical supplies to support the island state following a devastating 7.3 magnitude earthquake earlier this week.
The flight, coordinated by WFP's Pacific Humanitarian Service (PHAS), was organized to support the government of Vanuatu's emergency response, in particular by coordinating emergency telecommunications services. It was funded by USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance and other donors.
The earthquake triggered a major landslide, damaging roads and making access to certain areas challenging. Communication networks have been severely impacted, hindering efforts to coordinate a response. The airport in Port Vila remains non-operational for commercial flights, because of damage to the terminal building.
More than 80,000 people have been affected, with ten recorded fatalities and over 200 others injured. In the aftermath of the earthquake, the needs are rising.
“We are saddened by the loss of lives and destruction to property caused by this earthquake. This concerted effort is crucial to ensure that people affected by the earthquake receive timely and essential assistance,” said Alpha Bah, representative and country director for WFP's Pacific Multi-Country Office.
“WFP is dedicated to supporting the NDMO and other national institutions, and we will continue to step up our efforts to bolster Vanuatu's response in the face of this crisis.”
WFP has been working with Vanuatu's National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) and other partners to accelerate the humanitarian response and logistics coordination. Emergency and logistics specialists are being deployed to support the NDMO and national logistics cluster in response coordination, planning and information management alongside the provision of mobile storage units.
Two emergency telecommunications experts have been deployed to Port Vila, to assess the need for further deployment through WFP's dedicated IT, logistics and aviation teams.
WFP is engaging with the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry, Fisheries and Biosecurity (MALFFB) and the Food Security and Agriculture Cluster (FSAC) to monitor the food response needs through the NDMO.
Vanuatu, located in the Pacific“ring of fire” – a tectonic belt of volcanoes and earthquakes – faces frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, and is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. In 2023, Vanuatu was hit by three Category 4 tropical cyclones within seven months, TCs Judy, Kevin and Lola, causing extensive damage. In response, WFP provided the government with supply chain, logistics, emergency telecommunications and coordination services.
WFP's support to the 14 Pacific Island Countries and Territories focuses on capacity strengthening for response capacity so that governments can anticipate, prepare for, and respond better to disasters to protect lives and livelihoods ahead of, during and in the aftermath of shocks.
– The United Nations World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
The post WFP flies critical supplies and personnel to earthquake-hit Vanuatu appeared first on Caribbean News Global .
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