New Zealand aid supplies arrive in Vanuatu

Personnel from the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and Vanuatu’s disaster management agency worked shoulder to shoulder this afternoon to unload 12 tonnes of aid supplies for the thousands of people who have fled the wrath of an erupting volcano.

Major General Tim Gall, the Commander Joint Forces New Zealand, said the humanitarian aid supplies brought by a Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft were handed over to the authorities at Luganville for distribution to the thousands of evacuees from Ambae Island, where Manaro volcano has been rumbling threateningly since late September.

The aid supplies, worth about $250,000, include 800 tarpaulins, 800 family hygiene kits, 200 mother-and-infant kits and five diesel generators.

“We hope that these supplies will help meet the essential needs for shelter, sanitation and power of the people who have fled for the safety of surrounding islands,” Major General Gall said.

“We stand ready to provide further assistance if required.”

Since the Vanuatu government ordered the compulsory evacuation of Ambae Island last week, about half of Ambae’s 11,000 residents have reportedly sought refuge in the surrounding islands of Espiritu Santo, Maewo and Pentecost. Some have moved to stay with friends and relatives in the Vanuatu capital, Port Vila.