Rescue teams and relief workers made their way to Vanuatu's outer islands Tuesday after days of struggling to reach the devastated archipelago's worst-hit areas.
Aid from Australia and New Zealand is welcomed as Vanuatu's residents say they're running out of vital supplies.
"We are running short of food, water, shelter and electricity," resident Ropate Vuso told Reuters. With communications down and the islands in a scramble, officials were unable to gather accurate information.
A death count from the U.N. was lowered to 11 from 24 Tuesday after officials realized they counted someone people twice, the Associated Press reports. At least 3,300 people in Vanuatu were left homeless Monday as aid began to arrive from nearby Australia and New Zealand, the U.N. confirmed.
In Vanuatu's capital Port Vila, Oxfam Australia says that up to 90% of housing has been damaged, including vital supplies of food and water. Tom Skirrow, country director of Save the Children Australia, described the utter devastation in Port Vila to Reuters, "People are wandering the streets looking for help."
The full picture of Pam's impacts, including the final death toll, may not be known for what aid workers say may be days or even weeks. Now that Port Vila's airport has been reopened, military flights out of New Zealand and Australia are bringing in water and medical supplies to Vanuatu with contributions from France and the United States.
Reuters reporters that Australia has also sent a medical assistance to Port Vila to assist the sparse teams already on the ground.
According to the Associated Press, Port Vila's hospital was evacuated because officials feared the building could collapse. The Red Cross will be joined by The Pacific Humanitarian Team, UNICEF and UNHCR in its efforts to help those affected by Pam. Before slamming Vanuatu, Pam affected around 3,000 households in the nearby Solomon Islands and Kiribati, destroying homes and flooding crop areas, said the BBC. Pam also caused flash flooding in the island nation of Tuvalu.
http://www.weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/cyclone-vanuatu-impacts
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