Israeli NGO assists aid effort in cyclone-ravaged Vanuatu

A team of Israeli aid workers has been operating in the disaster-stricken Pacific island nation of Vanuatu over the past week to help local residents in the aftermath of a devastating tropical storm.

With the country in dire need of assistance, aid agencies and the international community have mobilized to provide relief. Among the many groups operating on the ground is Israeli NGO IsraAID, which said it dispatched a team immediately after Vanuatu declared a state of emergency on March 15.

The team, sponsored by the American Jewish Committee and the Ted Arison Family Foundation, traveled to the capital city of Port Vila to assess the situation and meet with local officials and UN agencies to better coordinate efforts.

Areas most devastated by the cyclone, however, lay outside the capital, as the group has been working its way to remote islands in order to assist those left without food or water, according to a press release disseminated by the group on Saturday.

Vanuatu, a tiny archipelago roughly half the size of Israel and situated around 2,000 kilometers off the eastern coast of Australia, was hit by a category 5 cyclone on March 13, leaving widespread destruction in its wake.

The small nation has now found itself facing a potential humanitarian crisis: At least 16 people have died and 166,000 others have been affected — a staggering figure for a nation that is home to just over a quarter million people.

Parliament member John Amos described the dire situation of those in Tongoa, an island in the Shepherd Islands group, appealing to the head of IsraAID for disaster relief: “We have no supplies, no food, no clean water. Last night 3 children died. Please help us”.

The relief effort, however, is proving to be difficult, as the sheer number of people spread out through dozens of islands have proven to be a arduous task for aid workers. “There are so many islands here, it’s a logistical nightmare,” explained Yotam, IsraAID’s head of mission. “The best thing we can do right now is respond to each appeal as it comes and try and reach as many people as possible. Time is against us but we will do whatever we can to help.”

Although other aid agencies have mobilized to distribute food, water and health services, access to drinkable water is a concern after ground water sources were contaminated by the storm.

The UN says 65,000 people are in need of temporary emergency shelter; and food and water reserves are quickly being depleted.