Cyclone Pam hit Vanuatu three weeks ago…and destroyed entire villages on the island of Erromango.
About 10,000 people live on Erromango, the third largest island in Vanuatu. Because it is so sparsely populated, it is not high on the radar of big relief agencies. But overharvesting of sandlewood and extensive cattle and pig cultivation have left the island severely degraded of resources.
Even before the storm, people on Erromango struggled to get enough food. Now people are living in caves while waiting for help.
Global Greengrants will send relief funds for temporary shelter, food, and water to one or two villages on Erromango. A $5,000 grant will build 100 new shelters for the displaced people.
We just received this report from a village elder on Erromango:
“The roof of the community evacuation center got blown off in the early minutes of the cyclone. Parents hid their kids in tree hollows and caves while they braved the full brunt of the storm.
Makeshift shelters [like the one in the photo below] are what people on in the community of Mataso have at the moment for shelter.
Coconut, breadfruit trees and vegetable gardens were completely destroyed, so people have been living off of damaged root crops. They need food assistance to sustain them for another two and half months before the kumala and manioc are ready to harvest.”
–Ben Leeshi, traditional village elder and Anglican Church deacon, Kinu Tribe, Erromango Island, Vanuatu
Cyclone Pam was one of the worst cyclones on record in the South Pacific. But now another super storm is barreling through the Pacific. Super Typhoon Maysak is now the equivalent of a category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of over 160 miles per hour, and is hitting the island of Yap today. According to the Washington Post:
- It is only the third known super typhoon with winds this strong prior to April 1.
- It is the first time there have been two major typhoons (category 3 or higher) during the first three months of the year.
- It is only the fifth super typhoon on record prior to April 1.
Blame climate change. As Weather Underground reports, all this early typhoon activity is due in part to “exceptionally warm waters in the typhoon breeding grounds.” Water temperatures in the region are more than 3.5 degrees (Farenheit) warmer than average.
People on Vanuatu are living in makeshift shelters like this one. Many people still lack access to shelter, food, and water.
Aid workers in Vanuatu describe the scene as “total devastation.”
Parents hid their kids in small caves like this one while they braved the full brunt of the storm.
Cross your fingers for Yap and the Philippines. And please help people on Vanuatu who are still suffering from Cyclone Pam. Click here to donate to Global Greengrants’ emergency fund.