Pacific / Vanuatu

More aid gets to Vanuatu's Pentecost

13:13 pm on 6 May 2020

Vanuatu's Catholic church has distributed over 1000 tarpaulins to the people of Pentecost, who were hit by Cyclone Harold last month.

A damaged chapel in Ranwadi Secondary School overlooks a devastated Pentecost landscape.Cyclone Harold, Vanuatu 2020. Photo: Andrew Gray

Bishop Jean Bosco Baremes said the church had made two missions to the island which was devastated by the category five storm.

He said schools, health centres and houses were destroyed by the cyclone.

The bishop said the important priority is to shelter people, with reconstruction a second phase.

"As soon as we had made contact with the people on the ground, I asked what is your primary need, what do you need and they said we need tarpaulins and later on we need some water and food."

"Along with that we had hygenie kits. We have also now received news that they need cooking utensils."