Update #4 on Vanuatu and on our deployment there

This is an update on the situation as we understand it with regards to Vanuatu.

We still have an urgent need for volunteers

We have an urgent need for more volunteers across all teams. We’ll be running the deployment for several more days and we expect the volume of work to grow.

Please sign up now if you possibly can https://docs.google.com/forms/d/14sqEFVCMWdInrKiWxFVw8XBGiawPt-61bBxjQQ6AwZY/viewform (only for Standby Task Force members)

Even if it is only for a short while. Every minute really counts.

The situation at 1930 UTC 17 March 2015

Despite reports of severe and widespread damage, Shefa remains the only province declared to be in a state of emergency at this stage. The National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) has confirmed 11 fatalities in Tafea and Shefa Province, including five from Tanna Island.

3,300 people are sheltering in 37 evacuation centres in Torba and Penama Provinces, and the main island of Efate.

Radio and telephone communication with outer islands is yet to be established. Commercial aircraft have resumed flights to Port Vila despite damage to the airport. http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resource/OCHA_VUT_TCPam_Sitrep2_20150317.pdf

Status of our deployment

As more responders arrive at Vanuatu and telecoms are gradually being restored, our task becomes ever more challenging and important.

We still need people to volunteer for this deployment

Over 400 lines have been added to the information management database. This is being used as a resource by many agencies on the ground who are also providing data to keep it up to date. We need volunteers to continue the data mining and processing tasks.

We are part of the telecoms cluster coordinating our work with a wide range of partners.

The MicroMappers platform is up and running processing images of damage. We need SBTF volunteers to act as GeoClickers to geolocate images that have been through the MicroMapping platform.

We’re starting to to publish maps from the MicroMappers platform. https://micromappers.wordpress.com/maps/

Keep in touch

If you’ve got any questions, comments, or suggestions then drop me or anyone in the core team an email or ask in the SBTF general chat room on Skype.
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SBTF really is making a difference on the ground in Vanuatu. Thank you all.