The cyclone is currently making landfall in northern Vanuatu and is expected to reach the capital, Port Vila, tomorrow afternoon. Every province in Vanuatu is expected to be impacted, with heavy rain and severe flooding predicted.
Save the Children staff in Vanuatu have been preparing for the arrival of TC Judy and are monitoring the tropical cyclone closely, standing ready to support the Government of Vanuatu to respond.
Save the Children Pacific Regional Director, Kim Koch said that given the slow-moving nature of the storm and the path it is currently tracking, the potential for wide-scale impact cannot be understated.
“Every single province in Vanuatu is expected to be affected by Tropical Cyclone Judy, and we anticipate the needs of children and families across Vanuatu during and after the storm may be significant,” said Ms. Koch.
“In any given crisis or disaster, children are often the worst impacted and this will be no exception. With flooding, landslides and sustained rainfall predicted, there will likely be damage to infrastructure like schools and shelter, putting children at risk and limiting their access to education.
“We will continue to work with communities in Vanuatu, including the government, to ensure we do everything we can to meet the needs of children and their families in this latest tropical cyclone.
“Vanuatu is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world and as the climate crisis worsens, children in the pacific island nation will face even more extreme and more frequent weather events.”
Save the Children has a long history of responding to emergencies in the Pacific and Vanuatu, ensuring we work alongside the Government of Vanuatu in the coordination of the response
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MEDIA CONTACT: Mala Darmadi on 0425562113 or Joshua McDonald on 0478010972 or media.team@savethechildren.org.au.