Vanuatu earthquake: Families left terrified and in need of support

More than a week after a devastating earthquake, families in Vanuatu live in fear, Save the Children warns.

The organisation is working to provide relief to families in Port Vila, prioritising the needs of children in safe, child-friendly spaces.

Save the Children staff loading non-food items off the humanitarian plane that recently arrived in Port Vila from Australia. Photo/Save the Children

According to the latest update from the Vanuatu government, there have been 14 confirmed deaths and more than 200 injured.

Still, as recovery and relief efforts continue, those numbers, too, are expected to increase.

Since the deadly 7.3 magnitude earthquake on 17 December, affected families are still grappling with the traumatic moments of that day, highlighting the urgent need for mental health support alongside humanitarian aid.

An estimated 2806 people across 11 evacuation areas face a very different Christmas holiday than expected, having fled their damaged or destroyed homes.

As authorities reach isolated families, these estimates are likely to rise.

Lavinia Mahit-Wasinabani, Save the Children Vanuatu acting Country Director, says, "Many people around the world are celebrating Christmas, but I know for us here in Vanuatu, the feeling is one of deep sadness, along with a sense of gratitude.

“So many of our families are struggling with trauma, even as we try to help each other."

Some Port Vila buildings were flattened in the quake. Photo/Vanuatu Police

Merelyn and her 10-year-old son, Peter, shared their terrifying earthquake experience with Save the Children.

When the quake struck, it tore their home apart, separating them.

Peter, holding his nine-month-old baby brother, feared for their lives.

Merelyn recalled: "I was looking across the divided house and ground, towards my son carrying the baby, waiting for the moment where either them or myself will be thrown down by the shake.

"I was sewing to earn extra money for Christmas while Peter played with the baby in another part of the house.

“When the quake began, I thought it would be just another small 'normal' earthquake, common for Vanuatu, which is in a seismically active area. But before I could reach the baby, the ground split apart, and Peter watched in terror as we were all thrown back and forth."

Peter described his fear: "When the ground started to shake, I was terrified and didn’t know what to do. I held strong to my baby brother and waited for the moment to come when we both were going to die."

After the tremors stopped, Merelyn managed to jump across the rift and escape the house with her children.

Just seconds later, the home collapsed, and they watched the destruction alongside crying neighbours.

"I saw the house walls split symmetrically, with the ground open so wide ... I was shocked by how much damage this earthquake caused," Merelyn said.

Mahit-Wasinabani says children and families have told Save the Children that they are too frightened to return home and prefer living in tents despite the heavy rain that hit the area.

The frequent tremors and aftershocks have compounded their anxiety, one measuring 6.1 in magnitude last weekend.

Merelyn added: I don’t think I am returning my family to this community. We now reside in an open space with pieces of tents pulled together.

“I know it will take time to find a new home for my family, but I know it’s best for the safety of my boys growing up."

Research shows the importance of early intervention after disasters to help children’s mental health.

Save the Children is prepared to provide psychological first aid and help restore a sense of normalcy for children as safe housing is established and schools are rebuilt.

In a fortunate turn of events, 16-year-old Walley narrowly escaped being trapped in the Billabong store, one of the buildings in Port Vila destroyed by the earthquake.

He had been en route there to do some Christmas shopping.

16-year-old Walley narrowly escaped being trapped in the Billabong store, one of the buildings in Port Vila destroyed by the earthquake. Photo/Save the Children

"When the earthquake happened, I was on a bus near the golf course to go to town. I was surprised the bus turned. I thought it had hit a hole, and it was an earthquake," he said. "I was shocked and traumatised. I didn’t know what to do."

Walley had planned to go shopping earlier with his aunt but, by chance, left home later in the afternoon.

"If we had gone in the morning, I would have been at Billabong, the building that collapsed too.

Mahit-Wasinabani emphasised the critical need for urgent, life-saving support for families most impacted by the earthquakes, prioritising the well-being of children in recovery efforts.

"Save the Children has been assisting families such as Peter and Wally's by supporting the distribution of relief to families in evacuation centres, including hygiene kits and basic household items, as well as setting up child-friendly spaces so children can process the events of the last week in a safe and welcoming space," she said.

"We know how traumatic this past week has been not only to the communities in Port Vila and across the impacted areas of Shefa Province but even for our staff, who are still picking up the pieces of their lives.

New Zealand's Urban Search and Rescue teams have been helping the Vanuatu authorities with the relief efforts in Port Vila. The Kiwis returned home on Friday. Photo/MFAT

"We are committed to working with partners, including the government of Vanuatu, to ensure that children and their families receive the support they need to begin the long road to recovery.

“The people of Vanuatu are incredibly resilient in the face of multiple disasters, but the cumulative impact of these emergencies has taken a significant toll on our community."

Save the Children and its partners have set up a Child-Friendly Space at Kokoriko Manples, creating a safe haven for children aged three to 15 to recover, heal, and find joy amidst the chaos.

“We also plan to set up similar spaces at locations such as the Vila Central Hospital and other essential areas in response to requests from the government,” Mahit-Wasinabani said.

"We welcomed 120 pikinini [children] to the space, where we engaged them in play and activities to help ease the trauma they experienced.”

One child shared, “I was scared running around after the quake, thinking there would be another one that would crack the ground open, but after our short play, I realised I was playing again freely without worrying about a shake.”

Staff at the Vila Central Hospital. Staff have been pulling long hours, and many are leaving their families to look after the injured. Photo/RNZ Pacific/Koroi Hawkins

A community leader reflected, "I just realised I am still living after hearing the children's loud laughter and playful noises."

“Save the Children has a long history of responding to emergencies in the Pacific and is currently supporting the Vanuatu government in assessing the impact of the earthquake,” Mahit-Wasinabani says.

“We are guided by the National Disaster Management Office's plan for response and are currently working alongside partners to meet the needs of impacted communities.

“Through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership’s Disaster READY Program, funded by the Australian government, Save the Children is also working with communities across Vanuatu to develop disaster preparedness plans and conduct drills to prepare for emergencies.”

New Zealanders who want to contribute to Save the Children's response in Vanuatu can do so through its Vanuatu Earthquake Emergency Appeal.