Vanuatu – Tropical Cyclone Lola
Anita and her two boys, Fredrick and John, stand with the wreckage of the house they used to sleep in, which they have temporarily covered with a tarp for protection from the elements. Photo: James Hinge/Save the Children Vanuatu
On October 24, 2023, category 5 Tropical Cyclone Lola hit the north of Vanuatu, making landfall over Torba, the northernmost province. The cyclone then headed south, intensifying over Penama, and affecting parts of Sanma, Malampa and Shefa provinces.
On October 25, TC Lola was downgraded to category 3, with winds gusting up to 205 km/h. Malampa and Shefa provinces experienced heavy rainfall and flash flooding in low-lying areas, including coastal flooding.
The cyclone caused widespread damage, affecting a population of 110,748 individuals and 25,944 households, as estimated by the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO). Three casualties were reported, and many families lost part of their homes, suffered damage to, or loss of, their gardens, and experienced landslides and flooding.
The Government of Vanuatu declared a six-month State of Emergency for affected provinces to recover from the cyclone.
To support this recovery, the Australian Government provided AUD 660,000 to activate Australian Humanitarian Partnership NGOs to carry out a six-month response to the disaster.
The AHP Response
AHP partners CARE, Save the Children and ActionAid in Vanuatu worked to meet the immediate needs of communities impacted by TC Lola and related flooding. Partners worked in close coordination with government agencies and disaster authorities at the national and provincial levels.
CARE supported the transportation and distributions of non-food items, including dignity and shelter kits in South Maewo and South Pentecost. Approximately 7 tonnes of fresh food was distributed to 37 boarding schools (reaching 426 people) across Penama Province in the immediate aftermath of the disaster, with cuttings of root vegetables shared with 8,000 households in Ambae, Maewo and Pentecost. The CARE team has also supported shelter assessments and rapid gender and protection assessments.
Save the Children also distributed non-food items, shelter kits and hygiene kits to impacted communities, establishing Child Friendly Spaces, and providing supplies such as tarps to schools to repair damage so they could remain open for classes and as shelters for communities.
ActionAid Vanuatu, through the Plan International consortium, facilitated a women-led response through the Women I Tok Tok Tugeta (WITTT) network. A Women-Led Needs Assessment was carried out on the island of Malekula, including identifying the needs of women and girls with disability. The assessment demonstrated the need for food, lighting, dignity kits and replacement assistive devices. Four community kitchens were established to support women to cook and share food with the community, while acting as a safe space.