Humanitarian supplies for cyclone-hit Vanuatu arrive from New Caledonia

The French military has sent more than two tonnes of emergency supplies from its base in New Caledonia to Vanuatu after the devastation caused by tropical cyclone Harold.

A Casa air force plane carried a consignment of kits for those made homeless by last week's category five storm which ravaged the central islands of Pentecost, Espiritu Santo and Ambae.

According to the Vanuatu Red Cross, most people in the disaster zone have lost their homes.

The kits were made up of tents, basic kitchen items which had been held in stock by the Red Cross in Noumea as part of the emergency support provided by France, Australia and New Zealand.

Because of the Covid-19 outbreak in New Caledonia, the plane was offloaded in Port Vila by the French crew as to avoid any contact with people in Vanuatu, which had to date no recorded Covid-19 case.

Another five and a half tonnes of emergency supplies were flown from Noumea to Fiji at the beginning of the week on a Fiji Airways plane which had brought stranded tourists from Nadi.

This week the New Caledonian government released $US100,000 to assist Vanuatu with the recovery efforts.

Airports Vanuatu Limited facilitated a National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) approved French Military CN235 CASA flight at Port Vila Airport.

According to AVL all supplies were disinfected at the port of origin prior to transport to Vanuatu.

Upon arrival, the aircraft was isolated at RWY29 for unload, disinfection, inspection, and storage of cargo.

French Military personnel on board unloaded the supplies upon arrival.

Biosecurity Vanuatu Department and Vanuatu Customs and Inland Revenue conducted inspections of the supplies following disinfection of everything offloaded by the contracted EzzyKill Pest Control Ltd team.

Vanuatu Terminal Services Limited (VTS) coordinated all airside ground and cargo logistics from aircraft arrival to departure, and cargo handling from aircraft laydown to secured storage, after disinfection.

The CASA aircraft later departed Port Vila Airport after successful completion of the operation.

 

Photo AVL