Category five cyclone destroys much of Vanuatu's second-largest town but early warnings prevent mass casualties in the Pacific nation
Badly damaged buildings are pictured near Vanuatu's capital of Port Vila on April 7, 2020, after Tropical Cyclone Harold swept past and hit islands to the north.
World Vision's Vanuatu director Kendra Gates Derousseau said the charity's local manager told her the damage was comparable to the last category five monster to hit the country, Cyclone Pam in 2015. Communications remain down across much of the country and Gates Derousseau said the scale of the disaster would remain unclear until remote island communities, such as southern Pentecost, had been contacted.
A massive international aid effort was launched after Cyclone Pam in 2015 flattened Port Vila, killed 11 people and wiped out almost two-thirds of the country's economic capacity. "It has to be locally led, locally driven, working with humanitarian partners who are currently in-country. Vanuatu lacks the health infrastructure to deal with even a mild coronavirus outbreak, with local media reporting last month that the nation of 300,000 has only two respiratory ventilators.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Vanuatu braces as monster Cyclone Harold strengthens in PacificTropical cyclone Harold, which claimed 27 lives when it swept through the Solomon Islands last week, strengthened overnight Sunday as it moved east towards Vanuatu.
Read more »
Tropical Cyclone Harold hits Vanuatu as it is upgraded to a Category 5 stormRelief workers are concerned the storm could threaten the county's response to COVID-19.
Read more »
Cyclone pounds Vanuatu, levelling buildings, amid virus shutdownA powerful tropical cyclone made landfall on the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu on Monday, witnesses said, levelling buildings in a country already in a state of emergency due to concerns about the coronavirus.
Read more »
Cyclone pounds Vanuatu, levelling buildings, amid virus shutdownCyclone Harold caused landfall and collapsing of buildings on the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu on Monday amid the coronavirus crisis.
Read more »
CVS launches drive-thru rapid testing in Rhode Island and GeorgiaCVS Health said it hopes to perform up to 1,000 tests per day.
Read more »