Mixed reports of Cyclone Cook damage from Vanuatu

Vanuatu's National Disaster Management Office said it now has a picture of the extent of damage caused by Cyclone Cook when it hit the country.

Cook brought widespread flooding to the archipelago at the weekend.

The Department's planning and research officer, Peter Korisa, said there had been been some damage to crops, parts of Efate was flooded and a number people were forced to seek emergency shelter.

Mr Korisa said it was a mixed picture for disaster officials.

He said there was extensive flooding on Efate and as a result the island has WASH or water, sanitation and health issues.

He says other islands, such as Epi, appeared to have experienced a lot more wind and this caused damage, mostly to root crops, but also banana and papaya.

Mr Korisa said there were not large numbers in emergency shelters and on Monday six of the nine sites on Efate were shut down and the people taken back to their homes.

He said on other islands people used the shelters on Sunday but returned to their homes during Monday.

World Vision in Vanuatu said the impact of Cyclone Cook on food gardens was much less than the damage caused by Cyclone Pam.

The organisation's acting programme director Ceasar Gayadon said mainly crops situated in low lying areas on Efate were the worst affected, but the impact was nowhere near as bad or as costly, compared to the devastation caused by last year's Cyclone Pam.

"There are some areas here in Efate but only those that are fully within or near the seashore or near some of the rivers that were really affected as there was heavy rain. So of course all the ordinary people doing their small gardens, they were really the ones most affected."

Mr Gayadon said the cleanup was ongoing.

 

Photo By: (Facebook: Vanuatu Red Cross)