A Message to the Peace Corps Community from Friends of Vanuatu
On December 17th, the capital city of Vanuatu, Port Vila, was struck by a 7.4 magnitude earthquake. And on Sunday morning, December 22, a second quake of 6.1 magnitude struck the island. Aid efforts have been hampered by toppled concrete buildings and landslides according to news reports.
There has been considerable damage throughout the capital and adjacent communities: over 10 buildings have either collapsed or are no longer structurally sound, which includes the hospital where triage tents have been set up outside the rubble. There have also been reports of several landslides, some of which were fatal.
There are 12 confirmed fatalities, 200+ people have been injured, and approximately 1,043 people have been displaced. We expect these numbers will increase.
The Friends of Vanuatu board believes we are well-positioned to help support the impacted communities, and we have begun to marshal a disaster relief response.
We are grateful for the National Peace Corps Association’s past efforts to rally the Peace Corps community to help disaster relief in places we have served.
Sincerely,
Andrew Beltz
President, Friends of Vanuatu
Banner Image: Photos shared by Vanuatu Police on Facebook showed rescuers sifting through rubble by hand