Just as hundreds of stranded Australians finally made it home, Vanuatu has been rocked by yet another powerful earthquake. The magnitude 6.1 quake struck in the early hours of Sunday morning local time, shaking buildings on the country’s main island mere days after a devastating 7.3 tremor killed at least 16 people, injured hundreds more, and caused widespread damage.
The latest quake hit around 2:30 am, centered just 30 km west of the capital Port Vila, which bore the brunt of Tuesday’s catastrophic shaking. While no tsunami alert was triggered this time, it served as a chilling reminder of the precarious situation on the ground as the battered nation struggles to recover.
Australians Evacuated as Crisis Deepens
In the midst of the unfolding disaster, a massive evacuation effort has been underway to bring home hundreds of Australians stranded in Vanuatu. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has been running flights out of Port Vila International Airport, which reopened to commercial traffic on Sunday despite the extensive damage.
With commercial airlines Qantas, Virgin Australia, and Jetstar gradually resuming flights to Port Vila, officials are hopeful more Australians will soon be on their way home. The government is working closely with the carriers to restore regular service and increase recovery resources flowing in.
Australia Pledges Additional Aid
As the evacuation flights landed, the Australian government announced it would provide an additional $5 million in humanitarian assistance to Vanuatu. This comes on top of the emergency aid already flowing into the ravaged country.
The Australian government stands with the people of Vanuatu as they begin the difficult journey of rebuilding in the wake of this tragedy.
With the death toll expected to rise as search and rescue operations continue, and thousands lacking access to clean water, the needs are immense and urgent. Aid agencies like the Red Cross, UNICEF, and the UN World Food Program have been rushing emergency supplies into the disaster zone.
Looming Health Crisis
Beyond the immediate impact, aid workers are sounding the alarm about a potential health crisis erupting in quake-ravaged areas. With water infrastructure heavily damaged, there are fears that up to 20,000 people have been cut off from clean drinking water — a situation ripe for the spread of disease.
Brecht Mommen, a water and sanitation specialist with UNICEF in Vanuatu, painted a grim picture:
We’re facing a ticking time bomb in terms of public health. Without access to safe water and sanitation, illnesses can spread like wildfire in these conditions, putting even more lives at risk.
The coming days and weeks will be critical as responders race to head off a potential second disaster in Vanuatu. With aftershocks continuing to jolt the region and the full extent of the damage still being assessed, the island nation faces a long and difficult road to recovery.
As international aid pours in and the last of the stranded tourists make their way home, the people of Vanuatu are only beginning to grapple with the scale of the destruction. The world watches anxiously, ready to stand with them in their hour of greatest need.
With commercial airlines Qantas, Virgin Australia, and Jetstar gradually resuming flights to Port Vila, officials are hopeful more Australians will soon be on their way home. The government is working closely with the carriers to restore regular service and increase recovery resources flowing in.
Australia Pledges Additional Aid
As the evacuation flights landed, the Australian government announced it would provide an additional $5 million in humanitarian assistance to Vanuatu. This comes on top of the emergency aid already flowing into the ravaged country.
The Australian government stands with the people of Vanuatu as they begin the difficult journey of rebuilding in the wake of this tragedy.
With the death toll expected to rise as search and rescue operations continue, and thousands lacking access to clean water, the needs are immense and urgent. Aid agencies like the Red Cross, UNICEF, and the UN World Food Program have been rushing emergency supplies into the disaster zone.
Looming Health Crisis
Beyond the immediate impact, aid workers are sounding the alarm about a potential health crisis erupting in quake-ravaged areas. With water infrastructure heavily damaged, there are fears that up to 20,000 people have been cut off from clean drinking water — a situation ripe for the spread of disease.
Brecht Mommen, a water and sanitation specialist with UNICEF in Vanuatu, painted a grim picture:
We’re facing a ticking time bomb in terms of public health. Without access to safe water and sanitation, illnesses can spread like wildfire in these conditions, putting even more lives at risk.
The coming days and weeks will be critical as responders race to head off a potential second disaster in Vanuatu. With aftershocks continuing to jolt the region and the full extent of the damage still being assessed, the island nation faces a long and difficult road to recovery.
As international aid pours in and the last of the stranded tourists make their way home, the people of Vanuatu are only beginning to grapple with the scale of the destruction. The world watches anxiously, ready to stand with them in their hour of greatest need.
Two RAAF planes landed in Brisbane on Sunday carrying 144 relieved passengers, bringing the total number of Australians airlifted out of Vanuatu since Tuesday’s quake to 568. The military flights have been delivering essential humanitarian aid on each trip to the devastated islands.
With commercial airlines Qantas, Virgin Australia, and Jetstar gradually resuming flights to Port Vila, officials are hopeful more Australians will soon be on their way home. The government is working closely with the carriers to restore regular service and increase recovery resources flowing in.
Australia Pledges Additional Aid
As the evacuation flights landed, the Australian government announced it would provide an additional $5 million in humanitarian assistance to Vanuatu. This comes on top of the emergency aid already flowing into the ravaged country.
The Australian government stands with the people of Vanuatu as they begin the difficult journey of rebuilding in the wake of this tragedy.
With the death toll expected to rise as search and rescue operations continue, and thousands lacking access to clean water, the needs are immense and urgent. Aid agencies like the Red Cross, UNICEF, and the UN World Food Program have been rushing emergency supplies into the disaster zone.
Looming Health Crisis
Beyond the immediate impact, aid workers are sounding the alarm about a potential health crisis erupting in quake-ravaged areas. With water infrastructure heavily damaged, there are fears that up to 20,000 people have been cut off from clean drinking water — a situation ripe for the spread of disease.
Brecht Mommen, a water and sanitation specialist with UNICEF in Vanuatu, painted a grim picture:
We’re facing a ticking time bomb in terms of public health. Without access to safe water and sanitation, illnesses can spread like wildfire in these conditions, putting even more lives at risk.
The coming days and weeks will be critical as responders race to head off a potential second disaster in Vanuatu. With aftershocks continuing to jolt the region and the full extent of the damage still being assessed, the island nation faces a long and difficult road to recovery.
As international aid pours in and the last of the stranded tourists make their way home, the people of Vanuatu are only beginning to grapple with the scale of the destruction. The world watches anxiously, ready to stand with them in their hour of greatest need.
Two RAAF planes landed in Brisbane on Sunday carrying 144 relieved passengers, bringing the total number of Australians airlifted out of Vanuatu since Tuesday’s quake to 568. The military flights have been delivering essential humanitarian aid on each trip to the devastated islands.
With commercial airlines Qantas, Virgin Australia, and Jetstar gradually resuming flights to Port Vila, officials are hopeful more Australians will soon be on their way home. The government is working closely with the carriers to restore regular service and increase recovery resources flowing in.
Australia Pledges Additional Aid
As the evacuation flights landed, the Australian government announced it would provide an additional $5 million in humanitarian assistance to Vanuatu. This comes on top of the emergency aid already flowing into the ravaged country.
The Australian government stands with the people of Vanuatu as they begin the difficult journey of rebuilding in the wake of this tragedy.
With the death toll expected to rise as search and rescue operations continue, and thousands lacking access to clean water, the needs are immense and urgent. Aid agencies like the Red Cross, UNICEF, and the UN World Food Program have been rushing emergency supplies into the disaster zone.
Looming Health Crisis
Beyond the immediate impact, aid workers are sounding the alarm about a potential health crisis erupting in quake-ravaged areas. With water infrastructure heavily damaged, there are fears that up to 20,000 people have been cut off from clean drinking water — a situation ripe for the spread of disease.
Brecht Mommen, a water and sanitation specialist with UNICEF in Vanuatu, painted a grim picture:
We’re facing a ticking time bomb in terms of public health. Without access to safe water and sanitation, illnesses can spread like wildfire in these conditions, putting even more lives at risk.
The coming days and weeks will be critical as responders race to head off a potential second disaster in Vanuatu. With aftershocks continuing to jolt the region and the full extent of the damage still being assessed, the island nation faces a long and difficult road to recovery.
As international aid pours in and the last of the stranded tourists make their way home, the people of Vanuatu are only beginning to grapple with the scale of the destruction. The world watches anxiously, ready to stand with them in their hour of greatest need.
