Vanuatu reconstruction moves ahead in the aftermath of Cyclone Pam
More than four months after Cyclone Pam, one of the most powerful ever recorded in the south Pacific, emergency aid is winding down in the Vanuatu archipelago, leaving inhabitants of rural islands facing an uncertain future. Tanna, an island 200km south of the capital Port-Vila, took a direct hit on 13 March. The wreckage is still visible: the tops of banyan trees have been lopped off, roofs ripped away and churches flattened. Trees on island were stripped by winds gusting at over 320km/h, but now fresh greenery is bursting out and people are rebuilding their homes and replanting their fields.
"We've sawn up timber from banyan and avocado trees to make beams, cut bamboo for the walls and dried coconut leaves for the roof. Once we've gathered up all the materials in the forest, it takes a fortnight to actually build a house; everyone here knows how to do that," says David, from Port Resolution on the east coast.
Continue reading...