Canberra, Jan 11 (NationPress) The Australian government has pledged additional humanitarian aid for Vanuatu following the devastating earthquake that struck in December.
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong and Minister for International Development and the Pacific Pat Conroy announced on Saturday a 10 million Australian dollar (approximately $6.1 million) package aimed at restoring vital services and infrastructure in Vanuatu.
According to their joint statement, this package will prioritize education, health, and transport, and will be implemented through local systems and partners.
This commitment builds upon the Australian government's earlier promise of seven million Australian dollars (around $4.3 million) in immediate humanitarian aid for the initial earthquake response.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has reported that approximately 116,000 people were directly impacted by the earthquake.
Previously, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) also allocated 5 million US dollars in emergency disaster financing to aid relief efforts in Vanuatu.
This funding was part of the fifth phase of the Pacific Disaster Resilience Program, which has been instrumental in enhancing the country's capacity to manage and mitigate disaster risks.
The program was supported by a 20-million-dollar concessional loan from ADB's ordinary capital resources, along with a 21-million-dollar grant from the Asian Development Fund.
The earthquake, measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale and occurring at a depth of 43 km, caused intense shaking near the capital Port Vila, about 30 km from the epicenter, at 12:47 local time on December 17, 2024
Described by locals as a "violent, high-frequency vertical shake", the earthquake resulted in at least 14 fatalities and left hundreds injured; an initial tsunami warning was later lifted.
Historically, in 2009, the region experienced two significant earthquakes exceeding 7.7 in magnitude within a short span, and in 2021, the Loyalty Islands earthquake led to several smaller quakes and tsunamis.
