Situation report issued by NDMO Vanuatu
This report covers the period from 14 March 2015
Highlights
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Category 5 Cyclone Pam has caused widespread,
severe damage and loss of life through the country,
particularly in the Central and Southern regions,
which experienced a direct hit.
State of Emergency has been declared for Shefa
Province. This is likely to be extended to Tafea and
other Provinces as information comes in.
Cyclone Pam has now moved across Tafea
Province and entered New Caledonian territory to
the south.
Emergency assessments of effected areas are starting to be rolled out. However, phone
and Communication Networks throughout the country are mostly down, so it is severely
limiting the ability to get reports and information from the many affected islands.
Six evacuation centres have been opened in Torba and Penama with 431 evacuees to
date.
Action has been taken to relocate and provide assistance to people living in evacuation
centres.
Twenty Eight (28) evacuation centres have been opened on Efate with 1589 evacuees to
date.
Displacement is expected to rapidly increase given the widespread, severe damage to
shelter and crops.
1.0 Situation Overview
 On Thursday 12 March Cyclone Pam entered Vanuatu Territorial Waters,
causing wide spread damage and at least 6 confirmed fatalities (death toll
likely to increase as reports come in). Many families had to be evacuated
before and during the cyclone, and many people are now displaced and
living with host families, as well as in evacuation centres. The total impact is
still largely unknown, as 5 Cyclone Pam has just exited Tafea Province and
communications networks are down across the country.
Vanuatu NDMO, Cyclone Pam Situation Report No. 3
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 The storm passed about 240 km east of Vanua Lava and Gaua Islands in
Torba Province as a Category 5 Cyclone. On Friday morning, Cyclone
Pam’s centre was situated east of Penama Province about 130 km east of
Maewo and Pentecost Islands as a continuing Category 5 storm. While the
very damaging eye-wall of the storm stayed off shore of Penama Province,
the shear size and intensity of the storm still caused major widespread
damage.
 SHEFA and TAFEA Provinces: Sustained, extreme hurricane-forced winds
and torrential rains across the entirety of both provinces. Extremely severe
to near total damage across both provinces with the entire Shepherds Group
and Efate, and all main Tafea Islands (Erromango, Tanna and Aneityum)
having received a direct hit by the eye-wall. Severe to total damage to all but
the strongest homes and buildings. Severe, widespread damage to crops
especially all non-root crops is expected. Widespread roof damage to
permanent buildings. Widespread damage to trees with roads blocked and
flooded in many areas at night.
 At roughly 17:00 on Friday, the eye first hit land in Shefa Province in the
Shepherds group, probably on the island of Tongoa. From there, a path of
total destruction occurred across the Shepherds, Efate, and all the main
islands of Tafea Province. By midnight the eye passed along the east coast
of Efate, covering the whole island with the devastating western eye-wall
and wreaking massive destructions.
 In the aftermath of the disaster on 12 March 2015 focus of work was on reestablishing essential services, evacuation centres and re-establishing
coordination mechanisms.
 The Vanuatu Met Services continues to maintain a Cyclone Warning for
Tafea Province
 School closures: All schools in the provinces have been closed.
 The National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) and five Provincial
Emergency Operational Centres have now been activated.
2.0 Displacement
2.1 Port Vila Evacuation Centres
 NDMO formed an Evacuation Centres Working Group to ensure that the
safety, protection and needs of the evacuees are being prioritised with other
operational planning. An Evacuation Centres Working Group comprised of
Vanuatu Red Cross, Protection, Gender and Disability, WASH and Logistics
specialists to manage assessments and assistance to people.
Vanuatu NDMO, Cyclone Pam Situation Report No. 3
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 NDMO with help from Vanuatu Mobile Force (VMF) manage transport of
people from vulnerable areas on Efate to Evacuation Centres on 13 March
2015. Vanuatu Mobile Force assisted the process of transportation.
 Food distributions targeting children have also been carried out by NDMO
on 13 and 14 March.
 NDMO have been advised that there is a much larger number of displaced
people at evacuation centres than has been planned for. Support is being
provided by Save the Children to ensure that these people are included in
the overall NDMO reporting, and included in the ongoing support
procedures.
 Assessments of Evacuation Centres and Registration of evacuees are to
start on Sunday, 15 March.
 Twenty-Eight evacuation centres have been opened on Efate with 1589
evacuees to date.
 The list of evacuation centres is comprised of two parts: schools (already
assessed by Department of Education as suitable) and churches
(assessments now underway)
 A map of evacuation centers for Efate is being developed.
 NDMO compiled a list of commercial options for transporting people to
evacuation centres.
2.2 Torba Province Evacuation Centres
Five evacuation centres have been activated for communities affected by storm
surges on 11 March 2015. Representatives of the Provincial Disaster Committee
are to visit all evacuation centres on 12 March 2015. NDMO Provincial Disaster
Officer is following up on conditions in evacuation centres and gathering data and
information on vulnerable groups.
Evacuation Centre
Location
PAX
Capacity
Pasalele Skul
Mota
83
100
Arep Jss
Vanua Lava
86
100
Church of Melanesia
Vanua Lava
11
20
Public Works
Department (PWD)
Vanua Lava
20
20
Post Office
Vanua Lava
15
15
Vanuatu NDMO, Cyclone Pam Situation Report No. 3
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2.3 Evacuation Penama
Name of Evacuation Center
PAX
Gamble (Maewo)
26 people.
Nasawa Primary school (Maewo)
100 People
Nasawa Dispensary (Maewo)
20 people
Longana People Center (East Ambae)
70 People
3.0 Food Security and Agriculture
Food Security Cluster activities to date:
 The key messaging for preparedness advice to farmers has been on Buzz
FM in Efate, and also in the DP post.
 Advice for food crop, cash crop and livestock farmers has been provided to
Provincial Agriculture Officers and NGOs (in Bislama) for preparedness
activities. A crop calendar has been included, so stakeholders are aware of
which crops will be ready for early harvest during preparedness activities.
This has also been shared with NDMO for inclusion in radio messaging.
 The messages were played on FM 104 on Tanna on Wednesday and will
also be broadcast on Thursday morning.
 The Agriculture Officer on Tanna has arranged a gathering of all
stakeholders to discuss mitigation plans for farmers.
 The Acting Agriculture Officer in Malampa is meeting with the provincial
authority on Lakatora Thursday to commence preparedness actions for
farmers.
 GIZ have begun contacting their 350 volunteers to find out who can assist
the cluster during cyclone response
 World Animal Protection has advised they have staff arriving in Vanuatu.
4.0 WASH
The cluster met on Tuesday, 10 March and has:
 confirmed their NFI list.
Vanuatu NDMO, Cyclone Pam Situation Report No. 3
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 confirmed contact lists.
 uploaded Rapid Assessment forms to mobile phones.
 They looked at the lessons learned from TC Lusi and have noted that the
delay before data collection commenced was too long.
Constraints:
One challenge identified is the lack of human resources for response in some
provinces.
WASH to send a copy of NFI list to Gender and Protection Cluster to provide
recommendations regarding dignity kits
5.0 Gender and Protection
The Cluster met Wednesday morning and has:
 Revised the assessment format and translated forms into Bislama.
 Discussed materials that can be taken on assessment including IEC and
dignity items.
 Identified who from the cluster could be deployed.
6.0 Logistics
6.1 Aviation
 The Port Vila Airport terminal, towers and airfield are badly flooded and will not be
able to accept civilian flights for about two weeks, at which time they will
recommence day flights only.
 The small aircraft that were on tie down points outside are not serviceable,
however those inside hangars should be serviceable but a complete assessment
needs to be completed.
 The Air Vanuatu helicopter is in good condition.
 The airport can receive aircraft in support of emergency operations however they
will need assistance with security, once these flights begin arriving.
 The fuel tanks of JetA1 fuel are serviceable in all respects.
 We can access aircraft from within the region, including rescue helicopters with
the capacity to undersling loads and one amphibious aircraft. - The airport is
accessible via the usual flood-avoidance route, however you will need to take an
earlier turn at Coral Motel.
Vanuatu NDMO, Cyclone Pam Situation Report No. 3
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6.2 Communications
 Report from Digicel is that all towers are out. Basically, the main tower in
Vila is providing limited reception within Port Vila, however, the dishes are
not pointing to the islands the way they should be. They will be re-aligned
and then a flight will be scheduled for TVL and Digicel so that emergency
repairs can be conducted to towers on the islands.
 At this stage, there is also damage to the HF radio at NDMO so we are
unable to communicate to any provinces or emergency services using this
means.
 Repairs are being made to the radio operating within NDMO, and at this
stage, it cannot be used to send community announcements.
6.3 Electricity
 UNELCO have advised that the electricity is out everywhere.
 There appears to be greater than 80% damage to power lines and will not
be fully restored for several weeks.
6.4 Water
 UNELCO have advised that the main water tanks at Radio Island are empty,
additionally, the power supply that powers those tanks from Tagabae is also
damaged.
 There may be intermittent access to water but no guaranteed consistent
supply for several weeks.
6.6 Aerial Surveillance Planning
 NDMO will be working with Vanuatu Police Force officer stationed within the
JPOC, to develop a comprehensive aerial surveillance plan.
 The plan is expected to cover most of Vanuatu's 83 islands and will be quite
detailed. JPOC has considerable experience in this area.
 NDMO requested assistance from FRANZ partners in the form of
surveillance aircraft in the next few days.
 Aerial Surveillance is likely to take place early next week.
 NDMO to facilitate the process of selecting Cluster representatives to
participate in the mission.
6.7 Gaps and Constraints:
Current concerns/immediate needs:
- Critically low shelter supplies.
Vanuatu NDMO, Cyclone Pam Situation Report No. 3
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- Critically low NFIs.
- Access to communications, particularly with and within provinces.
- Supply of critical services such as electricity and water.
- Warehouse capacity and condition of buildings that were being used for storage,
Vanuatu-wide.
7.0 Shelter
NDMO requested Regional Shelter Cluster Lead, IFRC to provide shelter sector
coordination assistance. Regional Shelter Coordinator confirmed availability and
will arrive in Vila as soon as commercial flights resume.
8.0 Health
8.1 Health Cluster provided list of priority gaps to NDMO including
 team of paramedics.
 medical teams.
 mobile hospitals.
 Management of bodies including morgue capacity and body bags
Request to FRANZ partners has been presented by Vanuatu Government.
8.2 ProMedical and Vanuatu Rescue
 ProMedical and Vanuatu Rescue have been working together this morning
to assist VMF in clearing roads and in providing emergency medical support.
 They have received requests to assist with moving or recovering deceased
persons but their priority in the immediate future is emergency medical
support to patients are in critical conditions.
 The hospital is operational but has suffered damage and has moved
patients into the new outpatients area. It is overcrowded and requires a
temporary shelter or clinic to be established, and privacy screens in nursing
classrooms (where the patients have been moved temporarily).
 The report from the hospital is that they are short on medical staff, their
kitchen is largely unusable, and they have standby vehicles but are short on
fuel.
 The morgue at the hospital is unserviceable and alternative arrangements
are being scoped. There is an option for the hire of refrigerate container,
available from tomorrow.
 A second refrigerated container may be hired for the overflow storage of
cold-chain medicines.
Vanuatu NDMO, Cyclone Pam Situation Report No. 3
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9.0 General Coordination
9.1 National Level Coordination:
 National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) was stood up on 11 March
2013 at 13:00 hrs. Brief from Director General, Department of Climate
Change and Director Vanuatu Meteo and Geohazard Department.
 NDMO Operations Meeting was held on 11 March 2015.
 NDMO advised all Provincial Secretary Generals to activate Provincial
Disaster Committees (PDC) and activate Provincial Disaster 11 March 2015.
 NDMO sent two NDMO Provincial Officers from the National NDMO Office
back to provincial offices in Malampa and Sanma to strengthen the
coordination.
 FRANZ Partners Briefing by NDMO 11 March 2015.
 OCHA ROP Information Officer to support NDMO.
 National Disaster Committee briefing by NDMO took place on 12 March
2015.
 NEOC shared contact lists with humanitarian and government partners.
 NEOC shared guidance note on protection standards in evacuation centres.
 NEOC compiling list of evacuation centres.
 NDMO compiling and sharing Sitreps.
 Plans for assessments are underway.
9.2 The following Coordination Meetings have been held to date:
 Logistics Cluster Meeting, 9 March 2015.
 WASH Cluster Meeting, 10 March 2015.
 Vanuatu Humanitarian Team Meeting, 10 March 2015.
 Heads if Agencies, 11 March 2015.
 Inter-Cluster Meeting, 11 March 2015.
 Protection Cluster Meeting, 11 March 2015.
 Food and Agriculture Cluster Meeting, 10 March 2015.
 Health Cluster Meeting was held on 12 March 2015
 Evacuation Centre Working Group meeting occurred at 13:00 on 14 March
2015.
Vanuatu NDMO, Cyclone Pam Situation Report No. 3
 Head of Agency meeting occurred at 14:00 on 14 March 2015.
9.3 Upcoming Meetings
 Inter-cluster meeting, 10:00 hrs 15 March 2015 (please send updates if
possible, or drop by the NDMO to discuss verbally).
10 International Assistance
Government of Vanuatu requested FRANZ partners to provide the following
assistance.
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Arial Surveillance.
Temporary Shelter.
Urban Search and Rescue.
Medical Assistance, including team of paramedics, medical teams and
mobile hospitals.
 Management of bodies including morgue capacity and body bags
 Logistics Support.
Recommendations:
1. All Clusters are asked to share information with NDMO on humanitarian
situation, activities now underway and on forward planning as well as key
gaps.
2. Contributions towards Sitrep to be sent daily by 13:00 hrs to VHT with
copies to NDMO Planning Officer, Zoe Ayong, zayong@vanuatu.gov.vu
and DM Adviser, Wojciech Dabrowka Wojciech.Dabrowka@dfat.gov.au
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