Cyclone Pam recovery

Through the Vanuatu Livelihoods for Resilience Initiative under the Tropical Cyclone (TC) Pam Recovery Project, the people of Shepherd Island in the Shefa Province of Vanuatu continue to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of TC Pam.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Government of Russian Federation recently handed over community goods and opened community centers for the Tongoa, Tongariki, Buninga, Mataso and Makira communities of the Shepherd Island to aid their recovery efforts.

Andrew Solomon Napuat is the MP for Tanna one of the islands most affected by cyclone Pam in 2015.

He said the initial response after the cyclone had been slow and hampered by bureaucracy but a recovery committee established by the new government in January has been making good progress.

"The government decided to establish what we call the recovery committee and so far I would say we have implemented more than 50 percent of the projects and things are happening now," he said.

RNZI reports the Holiday Inn Resort Vanuatu is one of several key hotels opening again after repairing damage from the devastating cyclone.

Resort Manager Simon Douthett said the closure was difficult as they had to let go of most of the resort's 160 workers.

In partnership since 2012, Auckland City FC and the Butterfly Trust have together raised nearly $7,000 over the past four years for education and relief projects in Vanuatu.

The Butterfly Trust supports developing world communities to attain improved standards of living by facilitating access to education and primary health.

It's been almost a year since the category five cyclone devastated much of Vanuatu, leaving significant damage to infrastructure and homes.

However since then two changes of government, the fallout from the conviction of 15 government MPs and the subsequent political stalemate and snap election have stalled progress on reconstruction efforts.

This follows a EUR 6 million funding agreement between the Pacific Community (SPC) and development bank KfW, on behalf of the Government of Germany.

The funding agreement and some of the practical recovery measures it will support were announced on Tuesday night in Port Vila, Vanuatu, by the Pacific Community Director-General, Dr Colin Tukuitonga.

A senior economist, Christopher Edmonds, says cruise ships are back at pre-cyclone levels and air arrivals have also recovered.

But it's the exports that have given the economy a boost, with a near 40-percent rise over the year to July.

Edmonds says that's mainly due to strong coconut and timber exports and the weakening of the Vatu against the US dollar.

But he says rebuilding will require more international support.

During Tropical Cyclone Pam, her shop was destroyed and she lost everything. Months on she has since rebuilt and restocked her shop and is back in business.

For two months, Lindes Kalo and Paul Andrew joined 129 people in Port Vila and Tanna, helping to clean up significant quantities of debris in the form of fallen trees and vegetative matter, mixed with smaller volumes of windblown building materials and household goods and wastes.