June 5, 2020 | 12:40 p.m.
The first phase of immediate food relief is complete. We served more than 1,000 families on several different islands with emergency food and hygiene kits. The second phase of the response involves providing roofing to assist in rebuilding homes. A shipping container with roofing materials is en route and should be arriving in Vanuatu by the end of June. Once the materials arrive, the team will begin working on distributing the roofing sheets and will help in the rebuilding process.
Response by the Numbers
| Family Food Kits Distributed | 1,200 |
| Meals Served | 84,000 |
| Hygiene Kits Distributed | 6,000 |
| Families Served | 1,200 |
| Individuals Served | 6,000 |
| Communities Served | 4 |
May 29, 2020 | 8 a.m.
The immediate relief phase of providing emergency food and supplies to families is completed. The rebuilding of prioritized homes will begin shortly.
May 15, 2020 | 12:34 p.m.
Teams in Vanuatu purchased 1,200 bags of rice and 155 cartons of mackerel to create family food kits. They also purchased 6,000 bars of soap to create hygiene kits. Teams packed kits and placed them on boats headed for Melakula and Pentecost. The team on the ground began distributions on the island of Malo and will continue the distributions on the west and south coasts of Santo throughout this week. The team will fly out to Pentecost next week to meet the boat of supplies to begin distributions in the surrounding areas.
Response by the Numbers
| Family Food Kits Distributed | 200 |
| Meals Distributed | 14,000 |
| Hygiene Kits Distributed | 1,000 |
| Families Served | 200 |
| Individuals Served | 1,000 |
April 24, 2020 | 11 a.m.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Harold caused widespread destruction in the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, and Tonga in early April as it made landfall in Vanuatu on the island of Espiritu Santo.
Harold was the second-strongest tropical cyclone to ever hit Vanuatu. Approximately 50-70 percent of buildings in the city were damaged and half of the homes suffered significant damage. Shacks along the coast of Espiritu Santo were completely demolished, with some developed homes unroofed — their walls either ripped off or collapsed in.
No building or structure was left unscathed in many communities on Malo Island. More extreme damage was reported in Pentecost, where the storm made its second landfall near peak intensity. Entire villages were reportedly destroyed.
