Port Vila – Vanuatu’s National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) estimates that more than 250,000 people (approximately 80 per cent of the entire population of Vanuatu) were affected by Tropical Cyclones Judy and Kevin, which made landfall between 1-3 March 2023.  

In response, International Organization for Migration (IOM) teams are working in partnership with the NDMO and humanitarian partners to deliver life-saving assistance to people impacted by the cyclones.

IOM’s current humanitarian priorities include supporting the Government with evacuation centre and displacement management and delivering relief materials such as shelter kits, and non-food items to displaced populations.

With financial assistance from the Global Emergency Response Program (GERP), IOM is scaling up its assistance to deliver basic shelter and non-food relief items targeting vulnerable households living in displacement situations. 

So far, through the Displacement and Evacuation Centre Management Cluster led by NDMO and co-led by IOM, over 5,150 displaced persons have been identified across 106 locations in Shefa and Tafea provinces. The cluster is also utilising displacement data to help with coordination of the multi-partner relief efforts to ensure that the right assistance gets to the populations who need it most.

Displacement tracking will also be deployed to a number of locations including Salili and Freshwota communities, to assess sectoral needs and assistance gaps, as well as inform cluster responses (such as health, shelter, gender and protection, food and agriculture, and water, sanitation and hygiene) in close cooperation with the NDMO.

“IOM teams have been on the ground providing planning and operational support to the NDMO to assess the situation and needs in evacuation centres since Tropical Cyclone Judy made landfall,” said Cecilia McIntosh, IOM Vanuatu, Officer in Charge.

McIntosh added that IOM and NDMO have been using displacement tracking tools such as the Evacuation Centre Reporting (ECF) form and the Intention Survey, to rapidly identify the most urgent needs in evacuation centres and coordinate cluster referrals.

The ECF Form, developed as part of IOM’s ongoing ‘Sef Ples Blong Yumi Strengthening Evacuation Management for Local Authorities and Communities’ project funded by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, is used to collect data to inform evidence-based humanitarian assistance to the needs of the affected population in evacuation centres.

The project includes the revision of the National Evacuation Centre Management Guidelines (NECMG), convening of Displacement and Evacuation Centre Cluster meetings, and development of Provincial, Area Council and community level tools as a part of the Evacuation Centre Management ‘Toolbox’ of training materials.

“We recognize the need for longer-term assistance particularly for those vulnerable to protracted displacement and as such, IOM is committed to continuing to support the Government in the immediate response and during early recovery,” McIntosh added.

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For further information, please contact IOM Vanuatu. Cecilia McIntosh, Tel: +67829786 / 5322788 Email: cmcintosh@iom.int