Australians stranded in Vanuatu are calling for help as Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) planes bring 148 citizens home after delivering vital assistance following a deadly earthquake.
The Australian government has repatriated 148 citizens on two RAAF planes sent to deliver search and rescue teams and other assistance following a 7.3-magnitude earthquake that devastated Port Vila.
A young mother fresh off a nine-month Queensland work stint is among the dead.
‘Absolute tragedy’
The death toll stood at 14 late on Wednesday, with at least 200 injured, according to the Red Cross.
No Australians have been confirmed dead in the quake, but one case shows the ties between the two Pacific neighbours.
Rodney Prestia, chief executive of labour-hire business iComply, told AAP a 26-year-old woman who he identified only as Valerie was crushed in a collapsed building.
“It’s an absolute tragedy, and our team’s been really rattled by it,” he said.
‘Non-existent’ communication
One Australian, who wanted to be identified only as Henry due to privacy concerns, described challenges, including no communication from the Australian government and a struggle to find accommodation.
They checked into a resort but heard nothing from the Australian government on what to do and were forced to leave that accommodation the next day as they didn’t have a booking.
The manager drove them to the high commission, and although staff assured them they would arrange accommodation, “no further communication or support was provided, even after waiting over an hour”, he told AAP.
A Qantas representative was able to arrange a stay at the Holiday Inn, but there was no clear support from Australia, he said.
“Communication has been non-existent, and we feel abandoned in the midst of this crisis,” Henry said late on Wednesday night ahead of the repatriation flights.
Henry remained in Vanuatu on Thursday with other stranded Australians who weren’t on the repatriation flights.
“As Australian citizens, we feel let down by the lack of preparation and immediate response during such a critical time,” he said.
“We are sharing this story to shed light on the experiences of Australians left without support in emergencies abroad.
“It highlights the urgent need for improved communication and crisis management to ensure citizens are not left feeling stranded and unsupported during disasters.”
With the airport reopening on Wednesday afternoon, relief and support from Australia was able to touch down, including a C17 Globemaster and C130 Hercules with personnel from Queensland and NSW fire and rescue.
Australian Federal Police, a foreign affairs department crisis response team and a medical assistance team were also deployed.
Taskforce leader, chief superintendent Douglas May, said their first priority was to help people trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings.
“Ultimately, we know there are lives to be saved there right now,” he said.
“After that, we’ll be able to help locate the deceased and then helping with any other disaster assistance that the country might request.”
Key infrastructure destroyed
UNICEF child protection officer Rebecca Olul said she had left the charity’s Vanuatu office for lunch and exited a cafe when the quake struck, throwing her to the ground.
“I was just alongside a three-storey building, so when I went down the immediate thing I did was look up and hope it wasn’t going to come down on me,” she told AAP.
UNICEF’s Port Vila field office in a six-storey building was damaged, but all 19 staff escaped injury and are now working from makeshift options.
Olul said she had driven around town and people were still sitting in parks and under trees, scared of aftershocks causing further collapses.
International assistance was needed to restore key infrastructure and it was unclear how long the recovery could take, Olul said.
Prestia, who pivoted his business to Pacific workers when backpackers stopped arriving owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, said he had worked with more than 1000 “fantastic” workers from Vanuatu.
He said any Australians wanting to help Vanuatu should visit the Melanesian paradise when conditions allow.
“It’s two and a half hours away. It’s pristine.”
