The Vanuatu National Disaster Management Office has started distributing aid to islands affected by drought and still reeling from the effects of Cyclone Pam.
Its director, Shedrack Welegabit, says it will distribute aid to the people of Shefa, Malampa and Tafea provinces, targeting 15,000 households.
Mr Welegabit says the distribution of aid follows an assessment by the Department of Agriculture, which identified the areas most in need.
He says the drought has made it even harder for people to recover their crops following Cyclone Pam.
"After the cyclone there was not too many heavy rainfall. People are not harvesting what little crop is still around. There are people in communities in the affected islands that are indicating food shortages. And that's where we are coming in to do food distribution, and soon we will be looking at water needs for the affected people as well."
Shedrack Welegabit says the NDMO is distributing aid still in storage in Port Vila following Cyclone Pam.
Cyclone Pam destroyed homes and crops, but in a sign of recovery, uprooted trees are sprouting leaves again. Photo: RNZ / Veronika Meduna