Save the Children: Cyclone Pam six months on - Outlying islands face crippling water shortages as El Nino intensifies in the Pacific
As the world marks six months since one of the worst disasters to ever hit the Pacific, Save the Children is warning that water shortages are impacting cyclone-hit communities across Vanuatu but particularly on islands without natural water sources like rivers and creeks.
In June the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the Pacific region was in the midst of an El Nino weather pattern, and that the 2014-15 cyclone season had been one of the most active as a result.
Save the Children Country Director Tom Skirrow said, “I’ve just returned from the island of Tongoa where water stocks are running extremely low. Locals are reporting fewer days of rain than normal and no heavy rains in the past two months, and estimate they have between one and two weeks of water supply left.
“This is a huge concern given what people have already been through. Not only has there been an increase in extreme weather this year, but rainfall has been irregular, meaning the Ni-Vanuatu cannot predict when it will come and plan accordingly.
“This is also having an impact on crops, which aren’t growing as well as they ordinarily would, and people are taking to digging holes in hope of finding some much needed spring water.”
Water was a major issue after Cyclone Pam ripped through the island nation on March 13 this year, killing 11 people and affecting 188,000. Water reserves on many outlying islands were destroyed entirely or contaminated.
“We’ve provided villagers with durable water storage tanks, and in the immediate aftermath of Cyclone Pam they knew they needed to boil water to make it safe,” Mr Skirrow said. “But that doesn’t help the current water shortages, and if the rains don’t come then local communities will again have to rely on imported water.”
Mr Skirrow said that the current lack of rainfall was a particular concern so soon after the cyclone, and emphasised the need for strong preparedness efforts in light of increasing frequency and severity of disasters in the region.
“Aid agencies, the Government of Vanuatu, local communities and other groups have worked really well together in the rebuilding and recovery process, and as a result we’ve been able to see concrete progress in preparing Vanuatu for future disasters. More buildings have special cyclone strapping to withstand major storms, aid posts are being rebuilt stronger and communities have carefully thought out evacuation plans,” he said.
“Given the strength and severity of Cyclone Pam the death toll was relatively low and much of that comes down to community readiness, however we can always do better. The loss of food immediately after the cyclone was another major issue, and many communities relied on outside help. We’re working hard to make sure communities are even better prepared for the next disaster.”
Save the Children has so far reached more than 63,000 people – a quarter of the country’s entire population – since Cyclone Pam struck. Health has been a significant part of the response, with the aid agency helping immunise more than 4,000 children, while also restocking 65 health facilities and rebuilding another nine, and providing nutrient supplements for 11,000 children.
Save the Children has worked in Vanuatu for more than 25 years to improve basic child health and early childhood education services, as well as running child protection, disaster risk reduction and climate change awareness programmes to ensure children are safe from harm and can help their communities adapt to the changing environment and increased risk of disasters like Cyclone Pam.
For interviews contact Evan Schuurman on +61 (0) 400 546 942.