Vanuatu Red Cross

As part of its first mission, a team comprised of staffs and volunteers from Disaster, Health and shelter sections spent 8 days on the ground to respond to communities affected by the earthquake that hit the island on 15 December, 2018.

The most affected village is Paamal that encountered numerous earthquakes, and uplift causing damage to houses in the village.

The VRCS team recruited and trained 24 volunteers who helped deliver awareness, conduct assessments and demonstrate how to build an emergency shelter.

The volunteers also helped distribute Non-Food items.

The training that was funded by Japan’s Meiji Jingu Worshippers targeted the project sites of Sulol, Fali, Wuror, Polianpal, Malver, and Lele villages.

The purpose of the training is to help educate communities to understand cyclone warnings, when and how to react in real time situation.

Those who are involved in the training are the Community Disaster Climate Change Committee, CDCCC, who are also Red Cross Volunteers.

This was done through the International Youth Corporation Project -IYCP ‘Pikinini i Redi’ which is coordinated by Vanuatu Red Cross Society. 
The project aims to reduce vulnerability of communities in Vanuatu to natural disasters through school-based disaster risk reduction awareness.

The purpose is to increase knowledge of disaster risks and disaster preparedness at the primary school level and Secondary schools through a strengthened Vanuatu Red Cross youth volunteer network.

Photo supplied Vanuatu Red Cross  

The VRCS through its established provincial branch in Penama Province deployed nine of its volunteers to participate in the survey that was conducted from 8 to 12, October 2018.

Divided into the teams, VRCS volunteers took charge of each of the teams and were supported and supervised by National Disaster Management Office officers, International Organization of Migration (IOM) volunteers, Public Works Department officers and CARE International.

Vanuatu Red Cross Society says soon it will deploy its teams of staff and Volunteers to Maewo, to assist the displaced families from Ambae by building additional shelters.

“The VRCS proposed plan puts emphasis on Shelter, and our emergency response plan is to build additional shelters by using tarpaulins that were already distributed to beneficiaries; also  we will be doing awareness on shelter  ” said Augustin Garae – Disaster Management Coordinator at Vanuatu Red Cross.

The island has been suffering the effects of a volcanic eruption that began in September last year and intensified earlier this month.

The government decided at the weekend everyone on the island would have to move to neighbouring Maewo.

But the Ambaeans are reportedly reluctant to go there and instead want to be moved to Santo.

In the meantime the Red Cross' Dickinson Tevi said the charity had been continuing to give aid to the many who have been displaced.

The organisation through social media informed the public that the volcano has been at level three for the last few weeks but yesterday it erupted.

“The Provincial Disaster committee and Red Cross branch officers and the Penama Red Cross Emergency Response Team (ERT) Volunteers have already deployed to south and West Ambae to advocate on preparedness. They (are) also trying to conduct an evacuation plan once every team who has been deployed returns with their situation report.”

According to Red Cross, the specific presentation made to the Minister was on the implementation of the Supporting Community Planning 3 (SCP3) project.

The project covers remote and vulnerable locations in South of Malekula and Torba Province.

Regenvanu was informed of the various Gravity Fed Systems (GFS) that have been developed and are now providing water supply to the communities.

Vanuatu Red Cross Organisational Development Coordinator, Dickinson Tevi says contamination of water is an issue and this will lead to concerns about sanitation.

Tevi also expressed concerns about a limited stock of drugs available if there is an outbreak of diseases in Torres at this point in time.

He confirmed to Loop Vanuatu of reports received by Red Cross from Merelava Island of a woman sustaining some serious injuries to her eye after a door slammed on her face.

Organisational Development Coordinator Dickinson Tevi says the Red Cross has been attending briefings with the National Disaster Management Office.

Tevi says they have also notified all their branches in the Northern provinces.

During a staff briefing this morning, the Operation Task Force was presented with the strategy and plan to guide Red Cross in this preparatory stage. 

The Red Cross has prepositioned stock in each branch to support any emergency.