Handling of aid questioned

PORT VILA – The Government in Vanuatu is coming under fire for taking control of the distribution of aid in the wake of Cyclone Pam.

There have been reports that people on one island have resorted to drinking harmful saltwater as they wait for aid in the wake of the category five storm that caused widespread destruction.

Residents on Moso Island, off the coast of the main island of Efate, have told the BBC they are still waiting for outside help.

Radio New Zealand International’s reporter in Port Vila, Koroi Hawkins, said the government was trying to manage how agencies delivered supplies, leading to a bizarre situation where aid was coming in and being stored in warehouses.

“It’s a remarkable stituation where the NGOs aren’t allowed to go in and just distribute the supplies,” he reported.

He said local media were asking when the supplies are going to reach the northern islands which were the first to be hit by the cyclone.

The National Disaster Management Office said it was still in the process of finding out exactly what supplies it has and who needs them.

Spokesperson Benjamin Sheen said the dispatch of aid supplies had been delayed after violence broke out in Port Vila over unequal distribution.

“It’s not the violence itself that is the problem, it’s the social problem that’s going to come after that because it causes tensions in communities in which they live.”

Sheen said the government wanted to avoid any further conflict and was coordinating supplies from various agencies to make sure enough was sent to those in need.