Cook Islands Government has expressed its willingness to assist Rarotonga’s Vanuatu community in their fundraising efforts following the recent devastating earthquake in Port Vila.

Prime Minister Mark Brown assured the public that the Government is ready to support fundraising efforts to help the Vanuatu community if there is going to be one.

In an interview with Cook Islands News, Brown acknowledged the connection the Cook Islands has with Vanuatu, saying, “We have Vanuatu people here who have families there, and we have people who have friends in Vanuatu.”

“The former prime minister (Ishmael Kalsakau) has good friends with university colleagues from here.”

In the past, the Government has supported similar efforts during regional crises, including fundraising for natural disasters like hurricanes and cyclones.

It is prepared to match dollar for dollar any funds raised by the Vanuatu community here through fundraising initiatives such as radiothons.

“The government will wait to see what the Vanuatu community would like to do and will offer support for their efforts,” PM Brown added. “Even though we’re a small economy and a small population, whatever little support we can provide will go a long way.”

The leader of the Cook Islands Vanuatu community, Ronnie Sakai, explained that the community is still in the process of determining the best way to offer assistance.

“Everyone has been busy with Christmas and New Year’s, and because there are only a small number of us, we haven’t had the chance to come together and plan anything yet,” said Sakai.

“Most of the help will have to go through immediate families, and right now, many of us are either away on holidays or in the outer islands.”

With only around 11 to 12 members in the local Vanuatu community, Sakai pointed out that any fundraising efforts would need careful coordination.

“We will wait for everyone to return from their holidays, and once we’re all back, we can discuss what needs to be done and how we can seek support from the government,” he said.

He added that the decision to fundraise would depend on whether there was a collective agreement among community members and if the need for support was still urgent.

The 7.3-magnitude earthquake that struck Vanuatu a week before Christmas last month has caused widespread devastation.

The quake, which occurred at a depth of 57.1 kilometres near the capital Port Vila, has claimed the lives of at least 14 people and left over 200 others injured.  Multiple aftershocks, including a powerful 5.5-magnitude tremor, have continued to affect the region.

The earthquake damaged several buildings, including the embassies of the US, France, the UK, and New Zealand, and disrupted essential services such as power and mobile communications.