More Australians Return Home as Vanuatu Rescue Operations Persist
Scores of Australians have arrived back home overnight after being airlifted out of earthquake-stricken Vanuatu by two Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) planes.
A Brisbane airport spokesman told AAP the two RAAF aircraft arrived on Dec. 20 night, but he was unable to provide passenger headcounts.
Hundreds of holidaymakers, workers, and other returnees have touched down after military airlifts since Dec. 18.
The planes that carried them back were delivering humanitarian supplies to Vanuatu for hundreds of households.
Cargo included personal hygiene kits, tools, and hardware and tarpaulins for covering damaged structures.
But one Australian man still stranded in the island nation, who wished to remain anonymous, described the Australian government’s response as “slow and inadequate.”
Related Stories
“More than 300 of us remain stranded, with no clear communication or support from our government,” he told AAP.
“Australia is only a three-hour flight from Vanuatu, yet the government has chosen not to act decisively to evacuate all citizens.”
An email from Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) sent to Australians registered as being in Vanuatu and seen by AAP urged those outside the capital Port Vila to await the availability of commercial flight departures.
The magnitude 7.3 earthquake, which struck Port Vila on Dec. 17 killing at least 16 people and injuring at least 200, caused massive damage to the city and surrounding areas.
The number of deaths and injuries is expected to rise as search and rescue operations continue.
A potential health crisis also looms as aid workers believe around 20,000 people on the island are without access to clean water.
UNICEF water, sanitation and hygiene specialist based in Vanuatu, Brecht Mommen, warned illness will likely spread.
“It’s a rush against time to get water trucks organised for those areas so that we prevent a second disaster, which is a diarrhoea outbreak,” he said.
The extent of damage to Port Vila’s water infrastructure remains unclear, with repair timelines still uncertain.
Aid agencies have also noted challenges around official casualty numbers, as they believe not all have been transported to hospitals and some injured residents remain trapped or are avoiding the severely damaged Vila Central Hospital, the main medical facility.
Around 1000 people are estimated to have been displaced, according to the United Nations.
Relief efforts face significant challenges due to blocked roads, traffic congestion, and limited communication networks.
President Nikenike Vurobaravu urged people to take care in areas hit by landslides and warned of “cascading hazards” following forecast heavy rain.
“Make sure your family is safe (and) help each other during this hard time for the nation,” he said in an address on the national broadcaster’s Facebook page.
Forecasted rain threatens to worsen landslides triggered by the earthquake, including a major slip that has blocked Vanuatu’s main seaport.
While humanitarian flights continue, local media reported that Port Vila airport is expected to reopen for commercial operations on Dec. 22, offering some hope for increased aid and recovery resources.
