cyclone devastation

Ralph Regenvanu said the main food push started in the middle of last week, with only a small amount of supplies being handed out in the immediate aftermath of the severe back-to-back cyclones.

He said there's been logistical issues in getting the food distributed, but dry rations should reach everyone in the two worst affected provinces, Shefa and Tafea, by the end of this week.

"It's not really ideal but it's still within the timeframe we've set which is three weeks from the cyclone and those three weeks end about now," Regenvanu said.

The cyclones caused extensive damage and plunged parts of Vanuatu into a state of emergency.

RNZ Pacific reports Emanuel Roslyn flew into Auckland with around 60 other workers on the first flight out of the country on Wednesday afternoon.

His father's home was flattened, leaving him sheltering in Port Vila.

The New Caledonian Army Forces were quick to act, sending a patrol plane last Friday to look at the extent of the damage in Vanuatu.

On Sunday the territory's forces arrived on the cargo ship D'Entrecasteaux in the capital Port Vila.

A supply ship is also delivering supplies from Port Vila to Tanna and other islands.

The ship will assist in road clearance, provide drinking water and give medical response.

General of the Army Forces of New Caledonia Valerie Putz says the structural damage on Tanna Island has been fairly minimal.

Hundreds of people remain in emergency evacuation centres in the capital Port Vila as Tropical Cyclone Kevin brought destructive winds and heavy rainfall.

ABC Pacific Vanuatu's Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau said he was grateful for the assistance.

"With the generosity of the Australian government, we've undertaken a surveillance flight over Port Vila, Eramango and Tanna," he said.

"Suffice to say it's a very sad state of affairs."

With widespread damages to infrastructure, many children have lost their homes, had their schools damaged, and neighbourhoods hit hard by cyclones Judy and Kevin.

Port Vila International School teacher Cassidy Jackson-Caroll told RNZ Pacific it was important to prioritise school-aged children's wellbeing during these times.

Jackson-Caroll said that requires all stakeholders to move quickly and restore a sense of normalcy and enable children to return to school.

Authorities are yet to determine the full scale of the damages caused by the back-to-back severe tropical cyclones Judy and Kevin.

But those who had to endure the worst of the natural disasters last week believe demonstrating resilience is their only option.

"To have had two category four cyclones in less than a week is history in itself," Vanuatu's only female Member of Parliament, Gloria Julia King, told RNZ Pacific.

"[It's] something that even the elders in our families haven't seen before."

Within days of each other, Vanuatu experienced back-to-back cyclones and a magnitude 6.5 earthquake, destroying homes, livelihoods, infrastructure and communications.

​Acting Country Director for Save The Children, Jack French told Pacific Mornings that while Ni-Vanuatu have banded together to support one another, attention is turning towards the next generation having to deal with harsher weather occurrences.

The death toll from Saturday's category five cyclone stood at 29 on Tuesday, with more than 13,000 people believed to be sheltering in evacuation centres.

With assessment teams still working to reach badly-hit outer islands that number was likely to grow - with surveillance flights already revealing a grim picture of vast devastation.