Urging Canada Government to help cyclone hit Vanuatu NOW

We are urging the Canadian government to donate funds towards the Vanuatu Cyclone Pam relief effort. We know that the Honorable Christian Paradis, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, has announced an unspecified contribution to the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund set up by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (UPDATE: As of March 27th, Canada's total contribution stands at just $660,000) We are watching with interest to see Minister Paradis announce more specific funding commitments over the coming weeks.   We need to secure additional funding for the future well being of the people of Vanuatu. People’s livelihoods and houses have been destroyed and it is going to need a lot of money and effort to rebuild them.

Australia and New Zealand have already announced aid packages totaling $6.5 million in aid (UPDATE: As of March 25th, Australia has announced $10 million AUD in immediate aid), and the European Union 1 million euros. We urge the Canadian government to announce a generous donation soon.

Every person (pop. 267,000) in the country has been affected. Vanuatu’s President, Baldwin Lonsdale, has said that over 90% of the housing is damaged or destroyed. Photographs and videos of the capital Port Vila show entire communities where their houses have been flattened, roofs demolished, and possessions destroyed by rain and mud.

There has been severe damage to infrastructure. Port Vila’s main hospital has mud in the operating theatre and the roof is completely gone from all but one of the wards. Bridges around the main island have crumbled and most of the school buildings have been significantly damaged, as have most of the buildings in town.

People are homeless. Several shelters have been set up in Port Vila but people say they are over-crowded and that 350 people share each toilet. People are fearful of the spread of disease. People are also very fearful of food shortages as all their food gardens and the country’s farms have been damaged. The electricity in town has been out for 4 days and so food in the supermarkets has spoiled. The price of food in town has also inflated as it is becoming more scarce. People are worried about what the coming weeks will be like.

The international community has been incredible. Local NGOs have also been hard at work fundraising and starting the clean up. But more is needed.

To see an open letter to Christian Paradis from Canadian researchers  on social issues in Vanuatu see,

 https://aid4vanuatu.wordpress.com/