TROPICAL CYCLONE JUDY & KEVIN

Between 1 and 5 March 2023, Vanuatu was hit by two (2) consecutive Category 3 tropical cyclones: TC Judy and Kevin, with widespread damages to various islands in the country. Vanuatu National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) estimated 251,319 (80%) people are in need of humanitarian assistance in the impact of the two category 4 Tropical Cyclone (TC) Judy and Kevin. On the 4th of March 2023, the Vanuatu Red Cross Society activated its Emergency Operations Centre, and began assessments in affected areas. These included communities within SHEFA and TAFEA provinces, which were identified as high priority areas (majorly affected).

The Vanuatu Red Cross Society is actively engaging with the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) to coordinate its efforts. It has also been involved with the different clusters established to coordinate response, such as: WASH Cluster, Health Cluster and the Shelter Cluster.

Under direction of the NDMO, the VRCS has been allocated certain affected areas in various provinces for their immediate response and assistance. The overall objective of the immediate humanitarian response in the event of an emergency/disaster is to mitigate suffering of the most affected population through provision of Non-Food Items (NFIs) and other relevant interventions. VRCS continues to assess and respond to affected communities through Non-Food Items (NFIs) in targeted and vulnerable communities.