Relief Supplies

It also brought a team of disaster management experts to assist with the response.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta has shared this message: "Our whānau in Vanuatu are very much in our thoughts. We have first-hand experience of the challenges that Vanuatu will face in the coming days and weeks, and are watching the situation closely. We will continue to work closely with our partners and respond to Government of Vanuatu’s requests for assistance where we can.”

“The shipment of goods should have arrived on Monday but the lockdown in Malekula following the COVID 19 scare forced the crew and the captain of the Pacific Star to be put in quarantine for nearly four days,” Mr Festa explained.

Before the delivery he thanked Port Vila based companies like Au Bon Marche, Vila Hard Ware, Vate Beverage, Leong Hardware, Wilco Harware, Computer World, Vila Distribution and Cellovila for donating the items.

Port Vila and Luganville established sister city relations in 1997.

The Logistics Cluster-led by NDMO has organised 12 shipments of food and non-food items relief supplies since April 10, when the first shipment of relief supplies by MV Young Blood left Port Vila for Bwatnapni in Pentecost.

According to the Logistics Team, ten shipments have already transported relief supplies to the northern islands for TC Harold response, while two shipments to the island of Tanna for the Ash-Fall victims.

Aid came in from New Zealand and Australia shortly after the category five storm devastated the central and northern islands of Vanuatu.

Last week a french aircraft from New Caledonia landed in Port Vila with more relief supplies.

The Disaster Management's co-ordinator of logistics, Jimmy Nauru, said they have loaded two boats with aid that came in two 20 foot containers.

"That's part of a big assistance. The team are working on those items, moving those items to the outer islands that really need those items. Apart from that we have Australia and New Zealand."

According to the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) one person was killed and 26 others injured by the category four cyclone which also destroyed more than 2000 homes.

The NDMO director Vasiti Soko said TC Harold forced hundreds of families to flee their homes with over 1500 people still sheltering in evacuation centres across Fiji's central, eastern and western divisions.

Ms Soko said relief teams were distributing food, shelter kits and medical supplies while continuing their disaster assessments in the remote islands.