Cyclone Pam has severely impacted Vanuatu, with the president stating that it has "wiped out" development across the nation. Reports indicate that up to 75% of houses in the capital, Port Vila, have been damaged or destroyed, with many structures reduced to mere timber frames. The cyclone has also affected neighboring Pacific islands, including Kiribati and the Solomon Islands, prompting Tuvalu to declare a state of emergency due to flash floods. The overall vulnerability of small nations to such catastrophic events has been highlighted by this disaster.
PREREQUISITESThis discussion is beneficial for disaster management professionals, humanitarian aid workers, policymakers, and anyone involved in infrastructure development in vulnerable regions.
Small nations are quite vulnerable to catastrophic events.Cyclone Pam has "wiped out" development in Vanuatu, its president said, amid ongoing concern over residents of the Pacific nation's outlying islands
. . . .
In Port Vila, concrete buildings withstood the storm better but reports suggest as many as three-quarters of the capital's houses have been damaged or destroyed.
"There are houses that have been totally gutted, literally with a couple of timber frames still standing," Chloe Morrison, from the international children's charity World Vision, told the BBC
. . . .
Pam had already caused major damage on other Pacific islands, including Kiribati and the Solomon Islands. Tuvalu declared a state of emergency after the cyclone caused flash floods there.