On March 13th, 2015, approximately 66,000 people across Vanuatu, were left homeless when Cyclone Pam, a category 5 tropical storm, tore through the country.
When the cyclone struck, Luis Lomai was in her family home in Lamanian village in West Tanna, together with her husband, seven children and two grandchildren. They were soon forced to move elsewhere after the walls and roof of the house collapsed around them. Together the family dodged flying debris as they sought refuge in neighboring homes. They were forced to continue their flight three times after the winds tore apart each place where they sheltered.
Miraculously the family escaped the cyclone unscathed, but Luis and her family were left feeling defeated after seeing the damage the cyclone had caused to their home and garden.
A year ago on March 13th, Cyclone Pam tore through the Pacific Island Nation of Vanuatu. The Category Five storm left immense damage in its wake affecting more than 200,000 people across five countries. Although Vanuatu bore the brunt of the disaster, Tuvalu, Kiribati, the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea were also severely impacted.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) launched a major international response, working closely with National Red Cross Societies across the affected region. Within the first six months of its relief and operation across the five countries, 44,000 people had been reached with humanitarian assistance.
One year ago Cyclone Pam tore through the South Pacific affecting 200,000 people and leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. Vanuatu bore the brunt of the disaster but Tuvalu, Kiribati, the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea were also badly affected. In the last twelve months, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) working with National Red Cross Societies in the region, has reached more than 44,000 people across all five affected countries with direct humanitarian assistance.
This week, a team of Vanuatu Red Cross trainers and volunteers commenced the facilitation of a series of ‘Safe Shelter Awareness’ workshops aimed at assisting 900 households in communities across West Tanna to rebuild their homes in a way that they will better resist future natural disasters such as cyclones and earthquakes.
To mark the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, Vanuatu Red Cross Society facilitated a Disaster Risk Reduction training workshop in Epau which was aligned with this year’s theme: traditional, indigenous and local knowledge, which compliment modern science and add to individual and community resilience. Led by community elders and sponsored by NDMO, VMGD, SPREP and IFRC, the purpose of the training was to teach community members about traditional cyclone shelter construction methods.
