Port Vila, Vanuatu---The tiny Pacific nation of Tuvalu is struggling to cope after being hit by the same cyclone that devastated Vanuatu, with tidal surges inundating homes and flooding food sources, the UN said Thursday.
While the focus has been on neighbouring Vanuatu, Tuvalu -- a grouping of nine coral atolls with a population of less than 11,000 -- also needs help and has declared a state of emergency after Cyclone Pam barreled through last weekend.
Many people living on the outer islands of the ex-British colony, formerly known as the Ellice Islands, have been affected, though there were no immediate reports of casualties.
"Assessment data shows that 42 percent of households in the northern islands of Tuvalu were seriously affected by flooding from tidal surges," UNICEF Pacific official Karen Allen said.
The agency added that a lack of power and communication had hampered its assessments -- but that the island of Nui in particular was severely hit with storm surges.
It said sea swells inundated houses, undermined building foundations, flooded food sources, killed livestock and damaged water tanks.
On Friday it plans to airlift emergency supplies, including heath kits, water purification tablets and vitamin A tablets from Fiji, with diarrhoea being reported in some children from water-borne disease.
A Red Cross boat has also left Samoa with blankets and other supplies.
The UN said severe damage was likewise reported from Cyclone Pam on three islands in Kiribati, while the Solomon Islands also took a hit, with distribution of relief efforts hampered by logistical problems in reaching remote areas.
AFP
