By Jayvee Vallejera
Vanuatu is feared to face a possible outbreak of diseases due to water supply interruption resulting from the 7.3 magnitude earthquake that killed several people and left the capital city of Port Vila in ruins last week.
Two major water reserves that supplied Port Vila have been destroyed, and the public water network is still being assessed. Repair timelines are uncertain.
PacNews reported that aid workers believed about 20,000 people on the island have no access to clean water.
This means illnesses are likely to spread around the affected areas, according to Brecht Mommen, UNICEF's sanitation and hygiene specialist based in Vanuatu.
Vanuatu's National Disaster Management Office has reported urgent needs for shelter, clean water and medical supplies.
A state of emergency remains in effect across the nation, and a dusk-to-dawn curfew in parts of Port Vila is set to end on Dec. 24.
International aid began pouring into Vanuatu as rescue efforts continued to fan out across Port Vila to reach trapped victims following the Dec. 17 earthquake.
PacNews reports that the Australian government has promised to provide an additional $5 million in humanitarian assistance to Vanuatu. That follows the $2 million it announced last week.
These are on top of the 9.5 tons of emergency relief supplies Australian military flights delivered to Vanuatu on behalf of the Red Cross, UN World Food Program, CARE, Save the Children and World Vision.
The European Union has released €400,000 (US$417,236) to assist the most affected population.
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape has also announced a K20 million relief package for Vanuatu. PNG will also deploy personnel from the Papua New Guinea Defense Force to help in the relief efforts.
A humanitarian flight coordinated by the UN World Food Program’s Pacific Humanitarian Air Service landed in Port Vila last Saturday.
Agencies including the World Health Organization, the UN Children’s Fund and the UN Population Fund are working with national authorities.
Humanitarian partners, including Médecins Sans Frontières, are also providing on-the-ground assistance.
The Fiji Military Forces have deployed a team to Vanuatu. The team will remain in Vanuatu throughout the Christmas period.
Aftershocks continued, and the U.S. Geological Survey reported a magnitude 6.1 temblor that shook buildings on the country’s main island at 2.30 a.m. on Sunday.
There were conflicting reports about the earthquake’s death toll from 12 to 16.
PacNews, a regional news source run by Pacific News Agency, reported that the Vila Central Hospital confirmed 12 deaths, citing the latest report from the Vanuatu Disaster Management Office. Unofficial numbers earlier placed the death toll at 14 and 16.
The same report quotes the hospital as saying that more than 210 people have been injured so far, with eight people rescued by joint police operations.
PACNews reports that over 80,000 people have been affected by Tuesday’s earthquake, with nearly 1,700 individuals temporarily displaced. The United Nations separately estimates that about 1,000 people have been displaced.
Eleven evacuation centers are sheltering more than 1,200 people, while others are staying with host households.
Officers in joint police operations are forcibly relocating people living in high-risk areas or damaged and dangerous buildings. PacNews said.
Ten buildings have reportedly been severely damaged, as well as the Vila Central Hospital.
Several bridges in the capital have also been damaged. Independent news site Pacific Scoop reports that the Tagabe bridge is at risk of collapse if there is any significant flooding.
Power is still being restored to parts of the city and the telecommunications network is still not back up to full capacity. Most businesses in Port Vila still have no internet and the telecommunications network supports only local calls and texts.
The Port Area remains closed for all incoming vessels. It has been reported that a significant uplift caused by the earthquake has left a visible fault line running through the seafront. Buildings along this line reportedly show signs of structural stress, with some appearing tilted or defaced, reflecting the fault's irregular shape.
Commercial airline services resumed last Sunday, bolstering efforts to funnel aid and recovery resources to the island country.
Airports Vanuatu chief executive Jason Rakau said the priority now is enabling Vanuatu citizens stranded outside the country to return home, and for visitors to Vanuatu to be able to leave.
New Zealand's Urban Search and Rescue says impending bad weather for Port Vila is now the most significant post-quake hazard. A tropical low in the Coral Sea is expected to move into Vanuatu waters, bringing heavy rainfall.
Authorities have issued warnings to people living near landslide-prone areas around the Vanuatu capital. People living near low-lying areas or rivers have also been told to move.
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