Super Cyclone Pam: Half population of Tuvalu severely affected

Latest: Nearly half the population of Tuvalu have been severely affected by the devastation wrought by Cyclone Pam, Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga said Sunday, with other Pacific island nations also taking a hit.

While the focus has been on devastation in neighbouring Vanuatu, Tuvalu -- a grouping of nine coral atolls with a population of less than 11,000 -- is also struggling to cope, he told Radio New Zealand International.

"Forty five percent of the population of Tuvalu, most of whom are on the outer islands, have been affected, badly, severely affected," he said of the island chain some 1,550 kilometres (960 miles) northeast of Vanuatu.

The cyclone-battered island nation of Vanuatu declared a state of emergency on Sunday, saying six people were confirmed dead as a result of the monster storm with the toll expected to rise. 

"The government has declared a state of emergency for the whole country," Vanuatu National Disaster Management Office spokesman Paulo Malatu told AFP, adding: "There are six certainties (deaths) in Port Vila and 20 casualties."

Super Tropical Cyclone Pam could be one of the worst weather disasters for the Pacific, Unicef New Zealand said Saturday after the storm smashed into Vanuatu, leaving reports of "complete devastation" in its wake.

This handout photo taken on March 14, 2015 and released to AFP on March 15 by World Vision shows damage and debris, caused by Cyclone Pam, in the Vanuatu capital of Port Vila. Vanuatu's president made an emotional appeal for international assistance after his island nation was hit by a calamity of a cyclone, wreaking devastation in what is feared to be one of the region's worst weather disasters. Vanuatu declared a state of emergency on March 15, saying six people were confirmed dead as a result of the monster storm with the toll expected to rise. (AFP)

The maximum category five cyclone hit Vanuatu late Friday and early indications suggest widespread damage, including in the capital in Port Vila, with fears dozens of people could have died across the country.

"While it is too early to say for certain, early reports are indicating that this weather disaster could potentially be one of the worst in Pacific history," New Zealand executive director Vivien Maidaborn said in a statement.

"The sheer force of the storm combined with communities just not set up to withstand it, could have devastating results for thousands across the region."

Powerlines and communications are down for much of Vanuatu and the Port Vila airport remained closed.

Pacific communications specialist Alice Clements, who is in Port Vila, said it was clear that the full force of Cyclone Pam was dramatically worse than predicted and would be a catastrophe for Vanuatu.

"I saw the sliding doors from my three storey hotel room completely blow away -- it was terrifying," she said.

"We have some very unconfirmed reports of casualties from the outer islands as well but we're waiting to get official confirmation on those, which is very sad news if it's true."
 

Cyclone devastates Pacific island nation of Vanuatu

Winds of up to 340 kilometres an hour (210 mph) ripped metal roofs off houses and downed trees in the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu on Saturday, as relief agencies braced for a major rescue operation and unconfirmed reports said dozens had died.

Witnesses described sea surges of up to eight metres (yards) and flooding throughout the capital Port Vila after Category 5 Cyclone Pam hit the country. Communications with the outside world were largely knocked out.

Aid officials said the storm may be unprecedented in the island's history and could be one of the worst natural disasters the Pacific region has ever seen, hitting Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands before reaching Vanuatu late on Friday.

This handout photo taken on March 14, 2015 and released to AFP on March 15 by World Vision shows scattered debris and downed power lines, caused by Cyclone Pam, in the Vanuatu capital of Port Vila. Vanuatu's president made an emotional appeal for international assistance after his island nation was hit by a calamity of a cyclone, wreaking devastation in what is feared to be one of the region's worst weather disasters. Vanuatu declared a state of emergency on March 15, saying six people were confirmed dead as a result of the monster storm with the toll expected to rise. (AFP)

Satellite photos showed the storm covering virtually the entire archipelago. Outlying islands may take weeks to reach, aid officials said, while a lack of clean water and widespread crop damage meant there was a real risk of hunger and disease.

Clements said residents had the roofs ripped off their homes as they tried to shelter and then found themselves unable to move because of the strong winds. Many of Vanuatu's 260,000 people live in buildings made of thatch.

Officials with World Vision said a meeting was under way on Saturday to prepare a coordinated response. Spokeswoman Chloe Morrison described the storm as "terrifying" and said many of the country's 83 islands would be difficult to reach.

"Trees are across the roads. Some of them are piled up so you can barely see over them," she said.

Morrison said there were reports of casualties across all of the islands, adding that people were describing it as the worst disaster they had ever experienced.

"This is going to need a long and sustained response. Crops will be absolutely wiped out from this," Morrison said.

Vanuatu's economy is highly dependent on tourism, which will also be badly hit in the coming months, she said.

Cyclone Pam is the most severe storm to hit the tiny Pacific island nation since at least 1987. Aid officials said it was comparable in strength to Typhoon Haiyan, which hit the Philippines in 2013 and killed more than 6,000 people.

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