March 22, 2015
Cyclone Pam Casualties: 'Many' In Vanuatu Found Vomiting, Sick, Injury-Infected
By Deborah Dupre - All News PipeLine
(Cyclone Pam leaves children at grave risk of disease from lack of clean water, standing water mosquitoes)
A Cyclone Pam report released Saturday in Vanuatu confirms accuracy of some of the worst predictions regarding human rights abuses outer islanders awaiting water and health care: more accounts of death, serious casualties, infected injuries and disease from contaminated water. The new official report by a rapid response team highlights over a week of suffering in four inhabited Shepherd's Islands group in Vanuatu's northern stretch. A UN statement made Saturday, following the rapid assessment reports of other outer islands, asserts that lack of water has posed a "grave heath threat, particularly to children."
No water, shelter, medical supplies
Hundreds of Shepherd Islanders in dire need had no clean water or medical attention by the time the assessment was made on Friday. With all vegetation and every home destroyed, places for the sick and injured to shelter are few. There is no shelter at all on one of those islands, according to the new report.
The report, Vanuatu:Cyclone PAM - Rapid Assessment Results for the Shepherd's Islands was published Saturday, with the initial rapid assessment completed Friday in four hours.
Two deaths were reported, both from Mataso. No information about the identities of the dead were provided.
Scores of people are suffering from what appears to be lack of clean water and sanitation along with is possibly vector-borne diseases from mosquitoes, such as malaria and dengue fever. "Many people," including children, are vomiting, and sick with diarrhea and "flu-like symptoms," the report says.
Three serious casualties were reported. Each needed to be evacuated and taken to the hospital, according to the report. There was, however, space on the plane for only one to be airlifted back.
In some islands, there were many injuries that have become infected, according to the report.
Property damage includes what appears to be destruction of most houses and all the churches, schools and aid posts.
The report includes only four islands of Vanuatu's 64 inhabited islands: Tongariki, with a population of 415; Bunungia with a population of 120; Makura with a population of 161; and Mataso with a population of 111.
Each of the four islands are in need of water, medical supplies, and shelter.
On Mataso island, shelter is critically needed. Regarding Mataso, the report reads, "There is almost no shade, water and psycho-social support."
Throughout the outer island assessments, water was not delivered accept for 60 liters to Buningia, the only island where the villagers are able to boil water, according tot he report. Officials knew eight days ago that Vanuatu's Shepherd's Islands was among the worst hit by the super storm. NGO aid workers have worried since Tropical Cyclone Pam hit Vanuatu that disease from the lack of clean water and sanitation would result in disease. A government worker flying with an assessment team blew the whistle before the report was released. The worker, a Vanuatu father, said people were basically drinking mud. Earlier reports, within hours after the storm, indicated that 1000s of Vanuatu children were being forced to drink saltwater. Government officials called on the people to be patient.
A combination of standing water from Cyclone Pam's storm surge and torrential rainfall along with survivors being too ill to combat water issues along with inadequate mosquito protection can eventually be lethal. Malaria in Vanuatu is endemic in all but two of the 64 inhabited islands, Aneityum and Futuna. Transmission is seasonal, peaking in the rainy season, between December and April. (National Malaria Strategic Vision 2007-2016, Vanuatu)
Only after the official rapid assessment was complete, would aid be distributed. That was mobilized this weekend after the assessment reports were lodged and analyzed. A week ago, UNICEF had said the people needed water purification tablets.
"Water is a serious problem, with the contamination of water sources a grave health threat, particularly to children," said the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Vanuatu, Osnat Lubrani.
