There are reports that 10 families are still living in evacuation centres one year after Tropical Cyclone Harold devastated parts of Vanuatu.
National Disaster Management Office, Provincial Disaster Officer in Santo, Kensly Micah said NDMO and partners are working to carry on the progress of recovery in affected areas.
Micah made the comments as disaster response partners in Santo organized a gathering to remember the hardships of families affected by Cyclone Harold.
The event which marked the first anniversary of TC Harold on 6 April, also honoured the hard work of officers supporting recovery in SANMA Province.
The gathering was organised by the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) and attended by Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) involved in disaster response such as Red Cross and World Vision, Luganville Town Council and the SANMA Provincial Government Council (SPGC).
Secretary General (SG) of the SANMA Provincial Council, Albert Ruddley applauded the steady responsiveness and great work ethics of all contributing members who had worked tirelessly to respond to families in desperate need.
“Although there’s still much to get done, we should be proud that we have at least started something and assisted as much as we can,” he said.
“We should learn from what we lost and encourage families to build better so that we can become stronger in future more catastrophic disaster events.”
Ruddley thanked all donor and NGO partners for their extensive support to communities in the areas of education and health.
He assured affected families of further support from the government and NGOs.
More than 159,000 families were affected by TC Harold.
The northern islands were worst hit, including the main town of Luganville, Espiritu Santo. There was significant damage to schools, agricultural crops, buildings, power, telecommunications and the local boat fleet.
Photo file VBTC Caption Trail of devastation caused by TC Harold in Santo, Vanuatu