Food and water
Most of the country’s farms and gardens were destroyed as were the precious supplies of rain water many rely on. Donations helped World Vision work with the government of Vanuatu and other aid agencies to quickly supply and distribute emergency food supplies to over 30,000 people. This included delivering high-energy biscuits to the island of Tanna and providing a much-needed water purification machine to Efate, the country’s main island. Some 5400 jerry cans of water have also been distributed.
Joanne, 22, lives in Isaka, a village on Tanna. “World Vision came to our village with food, rice, noodles and canned meat…without it we had nothing left to eat. We had some cassava but it got water damaged and was going rotten. But now our gardens are back again, we have vegetables to eat and some fruit too,” she says.
Health
More than 6300 children on the hard-hit island of Tanna received measles vaccinations to prevent an epidemic. Deworming and vitamin tablets have been issued, as have 2639 hygiene kits containing soap, detergent, toothbrushes and women’s sanitary items.
Expectant mothers are vulnerable after a disaster, so 678 clean birthing kits have been provided to the Port Vila Maternity Unit for distribution to provincial health centres. And thanks to generous donations, World Vision helped repair the water supply of the island’s only hospital.