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                         'Monster' Cyclone Hits Vanuatu

   by VOA News

   The president of Vanuatu on Monday called the devastating tropical
   cyclone that slammed into the South Pacific Island nation "a monster."
   Baldwin Lonsdale said his country must start anew after the destruction
   caused by Cyclone Pam.

   "This is a very devastating cyclone that goes to Vanuatu. I tell me it
   is a monster. It's a monster that has hit the Republic of Vanuatu. And
   again it is a setback for the government and for the people of Vanuatu.
   After all the developments that has taken place, all the development
   has been wiped out. So it means we will have to start new again," said
   President Lonsdale.

   Lonsdale, preparing to return home, was speaking in Japan where he and
   other government officials were attending a U.N. conference on disaster
   risk reduction when the cyclone struck Vanuatu.

   Relief workers were struggling Monday to contact the more than 80
   islands that make up Vanuatu to determine the impact of the cyclone
   that struck late Friday and Saturday.

   Relief supplies began flowing into the stricken country Sunday.

   Cyclone Pam, carrying winds up to 300 kilometer-per-hour, destroyed
   entire villages, reducing buildings to timbers and tearing off
   rooftops, downing power lines and toppling trees.

   Authorities have confirmed at least eight deaths and more than 20
   injuries, but the toll is expected to rise as rescuers reach the most
   remote islands in the archipelago.

   Aid workers say virtually every building not made out of concrete has
   been flattened. Authorities have declared a state of emergency.

   With communications and power lines down, officials have had a
   difficult time getting information as to the extent of the damage.

   "We need food for the coming weeks," said Red Cross Vanuatu CEO
   Jacqueline de Gaillarde.

   "Agencies have been advised to take a no regrets approach, even if
   information is limited, it is important to prepare for the worst," said
   Hannington Alatoa, Vanuatu Red Cross president.

   Aid officials say the disaster could be one of the worst the Pacific
   region has ever experienced. UNICEF said the cyclone affected at least
   half the population of Vanuatu, including about 54,000 children. Oxfam
   said water, sanitation and hygiene supplies are an urgent priority.

   A U.N. statement on a meeting between U.N. Secretary-General Ban
   Ki-moon and and President Lonsdale on the sidelines of the Japan
   conference quoted the U.N. chief as saying Vanuatu "has already been
   suffering from the adverse effects of climate change." He said "storms
   such as Pam only increase the challenges that the country faces."

   Other Pacific islands were also damaged by Pam, including Kiribati and
   the Solomon Islands.
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References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/monster-cyclone-hits-vanuatu/2681449.html