Cyclone Pam: 'apocalyptic' levels of destruction in Vanuatu
Vanuatu's president says climate change is to blame for the increase in cyclones and extreme weather
Emergency aid and relief supplies have begun to arrive in Vanuatu, the small Pacific island nation devastated by the ravages of tropical cyclone Pam this weekend.
The category five storm is one of the worst natural disasters to have ever hit the region, with aid agencies describing the devastation as "apocalyptic". Winds of up to 200mph destroyed homes, roads and bridges and brought down phone and power lines.
"Virtually every building that is not concrete has been flattened," a member of the Red Cross team told Sky news Australia.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The official death toll in Vanuatu stands at eight, but aid agencies fear the number could rise significantly as rescue teams finally reach the country's outlying islands.
Vanuatu's president said the "monster" cyclone had "wiped out" the country's development. Baldwin Lonsdale, who happened to be in Japan at a disaster risk conference when the storm struck, made a tearful appeal for aid and assistance from the international community.
Although emergency supplies have begun to arrive in Vanuatu’s capital, Port Vila, aid agencies warn that it may take days to reach the remote villages across the archipelago's 80 islands. Thousands of people are now homeless as a result of the storm.
Lonsdale says climate change has contributed to changing weather patterns in the region, sea level rise and an increase in the prevalence of cyclones. "This year we have more [cyclones] than in any year. Yes, climate change is contributing to this," he said.
The president of Kiribati, another Pacific island nation affected by Pam, said it was time for international leaders to "match the rhetoric" and take urgent action to combat the effects of climate change, according to The Guardian.
"For leaders of low-lying island atolls, the hazards of global warming affect our people in different ways, and it is a catastrophe that impinges on our rights … and our survival into the future," said Anote Tong.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Gaza hospital blast: What the video evidence shows about who's to blame
Speed Read Nobody wants to take responsibility for the deadly explosion in the courtyard of Gaza's al-Ahli Hospital. Roll the tape.
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Giraffe poo seized after woman wanted to use it to make a necklace
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Helicopter sound arouses crocodiles
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Woman sues Disney over 'injurious wedgie'
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Emotional support alligator turned away from baseball stadium
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Europe's oldest shoes found in Spanish caves
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Artworks stolen by Nazis returned to heirs of cabaret performer
It wasn't all bad Good news stories from the past seven days
By The Week Staff Published