Pacific.scoop.co.nz » A week after devastating earthquake, families in Vanuatu are still terrified

Press Release – Save the Children

A week after the deadly 7.3 magnitude earthquake in Vanuatu, families affected by the disaster are still reeling from the nightmare of the earthquake, highlighting the need for mental health assistance alongside urgent humanitarian priorities.

On Christmas Eve, Save the Children is helping provide relief to families in Port Vila and prioritizing the needs of children in child-friendly spaces.

A week after the deadly 7.3 magnitude earthquake in Vanuatu, families affected by the disaster are still reeling from the nightmare of the earthquake, highlighting the need for mental health assistance alongside urgent humanitarian priorities.

An estimated 2,806 people in 11 regions are facing an evacuation on a Christmas Day very different from the one they were looking forward to, having fled their destroyed or damaged homes. These estimates are likely to rise as authorities reach isolated families.

“Tomorrow, many people around the world are celebrating Christmas, but I know for us here in Vanuatu, the feeling is one of deep sadness, coupled with gratitude,” says Lavinia Mahit-Wasinpani, Save the Children’s acting country director in Vanuatu. Our families are traumatized, even when we try to help each other.

Merlin – and her 10-year-old son, Peter – told Save the Children about the terrifying moment the earthquake destroyed their home, separating the mother from her son as he held his 9-month-old baby brother, both wondering who he was. He will die first. Merlin: “I was looking across the divided house and floor, at my son who was holding the baby, waiting for the moment when we would fall or be crushed by the tremor.”

Moments ago, Merlin had been in a different part of the house, sewing to get some extra money for Christmas, while Peter was playing with his baby brother. When the earthquake started, I thought it would be a “normal” small earthquake, which is common in Vanuatu which is located in a seismically active area in the Pacific Ocean. But before she could catch the child, the ground split between them, and Peter watched his mother as they were all tossed back and forth.

Peter: “When the ground started shaking, I was really scared and didn’t know what to do. I held on tightly to my little brother and waited for the moment when we would die together.”

When the earthquakes stopped, Merlin was able to jump through the crack and run with the children outside the house. Seconds later, the house collapsed. They watched the devastation alongside weeping neighbors.

Merlin: “I saw the walls of the house split symmetrically, and the ground was wide open… I was shocked at the extent of the damage this earthquake caused.”

Children and their families have told Save the Children that they are too afraid to return to their homes, preferring tents to their damaged homes, even in light of the heavy rains currently hitting the area. Their anxiety has been exacerbated by repeated tremors and aftershocks, one of which reached a magnitude of 6.1 over the weekend.

Merlin: I don't think I'll ever bring my family back to this community. We are now staying in an open space with pieces of tents grouped together. I know it will take time to find a new home for my family, but I know it's best for my children's safety as they grow up.

Research shows the importance of early intervention after disasters to help children's mental health. Save the Children stands ready to help provide psychological first aid, and help children return to normal life, with the return of safe housing and the rebuilding of school buildings.

According to the latest update from the Vanuatu government, 14 deaths and more than 210 injured have been confirmed, but as recovery and relief efforts continue, these numbers are expected to rise as well.

In the moment of the sliding doors, 16-year-old Wally escaped the siege of the Billabong Shop, one of the buildings in Port Vila destroyed by the earthquake.

He was on his way there to do some Christmas shopping when the earthquake struck.

“When the earthquake happened, I was on a bus near the golf course to go to the city. I was surprised that the bus overturned, and I thought it had hit a pothole, but in fact it was an earthquake.” “I was shocked and in shock. “I didn't know what to do”

Wally had planned to go early with his aunt, but by chance he did not leave his house until the afternoon.

“If we went in the morning, I think I would have gone to Billabong too, the building that collapsed.”

Lavinia Mahit-Wasinbani, Save the Children's acting country director in Vanuatu, says it is crucial that families most affected by earthquakes receive urgent life-saving support, and that children remain a priority in recovery efforts.

“Save the Children is helping families like Peter and Willie’s by supporting the distribution of relief items to families in evacuation centres, including hygiene kits and essential household items as well as creating child-friendly spaces, so children can process the events of their lives,” said Ms. Mahit-Wasinapane. “Last week in a safe and welcoming place.”

“We know how traumatic the past week has been not only for the communities in Port Vila and throughout the affected areas of Shefa District, but even for our staff, who are still putting their lives together.

“We are committed to working with partners, including the Government of Vanuatu, to ensure that children and their families have the support they need to start the long road to recovery. The people of Vanuatu are incredibly resilient to multiple disasters, but the cumulative impact of these emergencies has taken a toll.” On our society.” Save the Children, in collaboration with its partners, has created a child-friendly space in Kokoriko Manples, creating a safe haven for children between the ages of 3 and 15 to heal and find joy amidst the chaos, and they will look to create places like Vila Central Hospital and other areas that Much needed based on government requests.

“We welcomed 120 bikinis to the place, engaging them in play and activities to help ease the trauma they experienced,” says Ms. Mahit-Wasinbani. “I was afraid to run after the earthquake thinking there would be another earthquake that would split the ground,” said one child. But after our short play, I realized that I was already playing freely again without worrying about shaking.” One of the community leaders also said: “I just realized that I was still alive after hearing the loud laughter and joyful sounds from “Children.”

Save the Children has a long history of responding to emergencies in the Pacific and Vanuatu, and is currently supporting the Government of Vanuatu to assess the impact of the earthquake. We are guided by the response plan developed by the National Disaster Management Office and are currently working alongside partners to address the needs of affected communities.

Through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership's Disaster Preparedness Programme, which is funded by the Australian Government, Save the Children also works with communities across Vanuatu to develop disaster preparedness plans and conduct emergency preparedness training.

New Zealanders wishing to contribute to Save the Children's response in Vanuatu can do so through the Vanuatu Earthquake Emergency Appeal here: Vanuatu Earthquake Emergency – Save the Children New Zealand.

Content sourced from scoop.co.nzOriginal url

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