Relief for Vanuatu | Cyclone Pam

As the world is very much aware, Cyclone Pam unleashed her wrath on Vanuatu on Friday 13th March 2015, destroying infrastructure, homes and leaving tens and tens of thousands of people homeless, jobless and without food and water.

Many, many people lost their homes. Loads will have lost everything including their source of food and income as gardens are totally wiped out and tourism infrastructure is non-existent. Although many stores are open, many locals do not have cash to buy food and supplies. People on the outer islands are facing an ever harder time given the lack of infrastructure, transport and communications. Food, water and shelter are the main priorities, while maintaining focus on sanitation and disease prevention as well. Time is running out to get supplies to remote areas before starvation and dehydration set in. 

This fundraising effort is to raise money to assist the local teams on the ground in Vanuatu. Money we receive will be transferred directly to the Pacific Institute for Public Policy (PiPP) – a registered charitable organisation in Vanuatu.  PiPP have been in Vanuatu since 2007 and are well-known and regarded highly. They clearly understand the political, social, economic and cultural landscape of Vanuatu and are well connected across the Pacific. They know where the money needs to go and will get it there quickly, without fuss or bureaucratic and/or administrative hold-ups.  They will account for every cent spent and work through the appropriate channels and report back in due course on how it was spent.

www.pacificpolicy.org 

We are the Australian family memebers of the Executive Director of PiPP and friends of many other ex-pats living and working across Vanuatu. We have been deeply affected by this disaster and we hope to help by contributing whatever we can. With your help, we can do this.

The PiPP team, in conjunction with many other agencies and local groups are working so unbelievably hard to help rebuild infrastructure, feed the hungry, get water to those without access, and to provide medical assistance for those most in need. This is where every cent of your donations will go! 

The relief effort and clean up has been outstanding thus far but the end is nowhere near in sight. 

Please dig deep. Every cent you can spare counts right now.

(Picture above is a before and after shot of Tanna island, where 33,000 approx. weathered the storm. The picture below is a view from Tanna's "Friendly Bungalows" on the eastern coast of the island, taken in 2013)

Please note we are not in direct competition with any of the other Vanuatu fundraising campaigns. This GoFundMe was the simplest way for us to channel your kind donations into the one repository to transfer funds directly to PiPP's Vanuatu bank account (rather than asking every donor to set up international bank transfers ot Vanuatu). 

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.