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.
It's been 7 months since Cyclone Pam struck Vanuatu with devastating force. This infographic helps to explain the progress that Red Cross has made in their recovery efforts since this time and how they're helping the country's most vulnerable. Click here to view a downloadable PDF version of the infographic.
Red Cross was the first organisation to carry out official relief operations, distributing essential supplies to affected people in the first month following Cyclone Pam. Six months on, we've provided assistance to an estimated 39,915 people affected by TC Pam in Vanuatu.
The first few months following the cyclone focused on relief – making sure that people could survive in the aftermath of the disaster. Now, the focus has moved to longer term recovery, to reconstruction and to being better prepared for future disasters. Following the relief activities, the recovery priorities for Red Cross in Vanuatu are to provide the means for cyclone-affected households to rebuild their damaged houses, have safe places for refuge and improve access to safe water, especially considering the increased likelihood of extended drought caused by El Nino.
