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Vanuatu: Tropical Cyclone Donna DREF operation n° MDRVU004 EPoA update n° 1

Countries
Vanuatu
Sources
IFRC
Publication date

Summary of major revisions made to emergency plan of action:

This update informs the latest progress of the operation. This update also informs the budget revision with approval of DREF top-up (CHF 32,126) and timeframe extension for another 3 months to 31 October 2017.

Recent assessments data from the Provincial Disaster Committees (PDC) in the Banks Islands (Torba province), Malekula (Malampa province) and Santo (Sanma province) has revealed additional needs in communities on these islands due to the impact of Tropical Cyclone (TC) Donna. The Emergency Plan of Action (EPoA) has been revised to include the following operational changes:

  1. Distribution of selected shelter NFIs to 255 households in the affected communities of the Banks Islands, Malekula, and Santo;

  2. Distribution of selected WASH NFIs, along with hygiene promotion messaging, to 138 households in the affected communities of Malekula, and Santo;

  3. Replenishment of NFIs;

  4. Inclusion of lesson learned workshop.

Response activities in the Torres Islands have made good progress in accessing hard-to-reach communities and operating in a resource poor setting and unpredictable weather patterns. Distributions in Santo and the Banks Islands are presently underway with distributions in Malekula expected to commence in early June. All distributions are expected to be completed within the next few weeks.

A. Situation analysis

Description of the disaster

On 2 May 2017, the Fiji Meteorological Service provided an early alert for a tropical disturbance (TD21F) forming to the north of Vanuatu. Over the ensuing 24 hours TD21F continued to strengthen and by midnight on 3 May 2017 had developed into TC Donna, a category 1 system. Moving in a westerly direction, TC Donna passed north of the Vanuatu group as a category 3 cyclone within 50-100km of the Torres Islands in the Torba province. The system continued west before turning south and passing to the west of Sanma, Malampa and Shefa provinces. TC Donna was later classified as a category 5 cyclone by the Vanuatu Meterology and Geohazards Department as it tracked southwards towards New Caledonia sustaining wind speeds of over 215km/hr. TC Donna continued towards New Caledonia and was downgraded to a Tropical Low on 11 May 2017.