Tanna Island

Increase in volcanic activity at Vanuatu’s Mount Yasur

In a statement, the department said as of 19 December 2021, the Volcanic Alert Level of Yasur volcano remains at Level 2.

In its major unrest state, Yasur is continuing with ongoing volcanic gases and ashes emissions

VMGD said latest data analysis indicates that the Yasur volcanic activity is currently high in the level of major unrest state.

“An increase of activity was recorded on Saturday 18th December 2021 around 09:00pm and was confirmed by observations data of bombs ejected from the vent to volcano cone.

South Sea Islanders hope blackbirding apology will help Pacific seasonal workers

The Mayor of Bundaberg, Jack Dempsey, on Friday issued a formal apology for the trafficking of around 62,000 people from Vanuatu and Solomon Islands, who worked in Queensland's sugar cane fields between the 1860s and the early 1900s.

Jane Smith, a Bundaberg resident whose grandparents were taken from Tanna island in Vanuatu, said it was hard not to see the parallels between blackbirding.

More than 9,000 people on Vanuatu’s Tanna Island receive food supplies

 National Disaster Management Office-Manager Support Service, Jimmy Naura said they began distributions last week after the supplies were shipped to Tanna at the end of last month.

Naura added the turnout was great and people cooperated with officials despite the delayed process.

According to the assessment carried out by NDMO, the ash fall and acid impact is adverse as it affected the growth of crops. Water catchment is also a challenge.

The government has provided immediate food relief to the families. Food rations include rice, canned tuna and water.

People on Vanuatu's Tanna continue to need food aid

Parts of the island have been blanketed in ash from Mt Yasur, which has killed crops and contaminated water supplies.

The National Disaster Management Office said food support for Tanna will stop on the 21st of May.

But the former MP, Jimmy Nipo, told Buzz FM that means Tannese will have to find a way to sustain themselves.

"Food assistance is always the resolution in the short term, and in medium to long term it's quite serious."

Jimmy Nipo said the people of Tanna have been living with the volcano for centuries, and they'll find a way to survive.

ADB, Vanuatu, zero mass water commission clean technology to deliver safe, reliable drinking water

The technology was inaugurated by Asian Development Bank Vice-President Stephen Groff, Vanuatu’s Minister of Education Jean-Pierre Nirua and Benjamin Lim from Zero Mass Water.

The technology, called SOURCE Hydropanels and developed by the US-based ZMW, is an off-grid, solar-powered innovation which extracts vapor into a proprietary absorbent material and produces drinking water from sunlight and air. In 2017, ADB installed a number of these Hydropanels at its headquarters in Manila, Philippines to demonstrate the viability of this technology.

Friendly Beach Resort on Tanna Island officially opened

Over five hundred people attended the celebration recently and as in Tanna the Movie, the colour, the language, the sheer impact of custom and culture was unique and overwhelming, it was breath-taking.

Friendly Beach is a small resort on the east coast of Tanna owned by Australian, Joanne Wade and her immediate family. The property was destroyed by cyclone Pam in 2015 and Joanne made the decision to rebuild only four unique villas and rebrand as Friendly Beach, a boutique luxury adventure resort.

Breaking down stigma surrounding girls’ menstruation in Vanuatu

CARE International in Vanuatu will host an event featuring presentations from teachers and girls and a screening of the documentary film Nomo Fraet at Ieneuala Secondary School today.

Florence, a student form Tanna said during her menstruation, she stayed home in fear of being humiliated.

“Before, when I got my period, I did not go to school. I was afraid of being humiliated, so I just stayed at home,” says Florence, a 17-year-old student on Tanna Island in Vanuatu’s south.

Potato planting programme launch on Tanna a success

Dozens of farmers, students and officials turned up for the launch.

Agriculture Minister Matai Seremaiah led a delegation to Tanna Island to launch the event and support the farmers.

Australian High Commissioner Jenny Da Rin was also present to witness the launch of Tanna potato planting programme and congratulated the farmers and the government for such an initiative.

Launch of potato planting programme on Tanna Island

The week-long programme starting today is one of government’s initiatives to promote import substitution.

The programme also encourages farmers to plant onions and carrots.

Potato seeds for the potato planting programme arrived from suppliers in New Zealand and were sent to Tanna.

In a brief ceremony after arriving into his team base at White Beach Bungalows on Tanna, Minister Seremaiah unveiled a first ever Ministry Logo, printed on T-shirts that the team will be using this week for the Potato Planting Program.

High hopes that Brisbane trip will restore Vanuatu child’s sight

Marceline is practically blind and needs a corneal transplant in one eye to be able to see again.

With the help of the NevHouse Foundation, Marceline has been flown to Brisbane for treatment, where she is currently undergoing tests to see if she's a candidate for the transplant.

The Vanuatu representative for NevHouse, Ernie Johnson, says everyone is hopeful that the operation will go ahead.

Johnson told Pacific Beat the girl was found at a hospital when a team went to Tanna to build houses in a village that was devastated by Cyclone Pam.