Emergency relief teams from the Israeli relief agency IsraAID are bringing additional food, water, and other aid to starving citizens of the tiny Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, after it was ravaged by a category 5 cyclone earlier this month. The archipelago, which has a population of nearly 300,000 scattered over 65 inhabited islands, was hit by the devastating Cyclone Pam on March 13. Winds of 320 kilometers per hour wreaked havoc on the tiny islands, killing 17 people and leaving an estimated 65,000 homeless.

Two days after the storm, Vanuatu, a former French colony, declared a state of emergency, and the nation’s president, Baldwin Lonsdale, called for international aid at a conference in Japan attended by United Nations agencies and IsraAID. IsraAID responded immediately, sending an emergency relief team to the area with supplies of food and water. The team traveled to the village of Eratap to meet the president and assess the situation, and also spent time in the capital, Port Vila, to coordinate efforts with government officials and U.N. agencies. During the coming week, more IsraAID professionals are expected to arrive in Vanuatu, as the organization continues to support local communities during this emergency. (via Israel21c)

[Photo: ODN / YouTube ]