Anxious wait for Vanuatu families

Roxy and Susan Burt have a long wait for news of family living in a remote village on Tanna Island, Vanuatu. Photo / Andrew Warner

Tauranga mother and daughter Susan and Roxy Burt are in mourning after learning two relatives were killed by flying debris during Cyclone Pam.

However, the pair cannot take time to truly grieve as they still have the agonising wait for news of the fate of 20 residents in Mrs Burt's home village of Ietukwei - the majority are family members or connected in some way.

That includes Mrs Burt's elderly mother Kaha Natou, two brothers Sam Natou and George Turiak and their wives and children.

Roxy Burt, a teacher at Arataki Kindergarten, said the Ietukwei is located at the most southeastern point of Tanna Island, Vanuatu - the island most decimated by the cyclone.

Ms Burt said on Wednesday morning her uncle Joal Natou flew from Port Vila to Tanna and was now making the arduous three-day trek to the village, crossing dangerous terrain, with many trees down and roads washed away, to find news of their family.

Mr Natou would then have to trek three days back again, and make his way to Port Vila before he could report back as telecommunications on Tanna were destroyed, she said.

Part of the trek would be over mountainous terrain as Ietukwei is located underneath Yasur volcano, Ms Burt said.

At least 80 per cent of homes on Tanna were destroyed and thousands left homeless are still waiting for relief, and the death toll from the disaster has risen to 13.

Mrs Burt said it was just over 11 weeks since her 66-year-old husband Dave Appleby died from cancer, and they have also learned two of her late father's relatives were killed by flying corrugated iron in the village of White Sands, near Port Resolution.

"It's just one thing after another. I don't know what to do. We can only pray our other relatives are all okay," she said.

Roxy Burt said it was heartbreaking to see the images of the devastation, and hear all the stories.

"But we know our people are very resilient and they would have been warned Cyclone Pam was coming and made preparations as best they could, including burying some food underground."

However, Ms Burt said the villagers would be desperate for relief supplies and aid to arrive.

Ms Burt said even when replanting and rebuilding can start it's going to be a long journey back to some normality

"It takes six months for a banana tree to grow," she said.

Next Wednesday Arataki Kindergarten is holding an Oxfam Purple Cake Day with a shared morning tea, dress-ups, music from Vanuatu and a market day to help raise funds.

Members of the local Ni Vanuatu community have been invited to attend.

Ms Burt said she had been talking to her young charges about how Cyclone Pam had affected the people of Vanuatu, and was buoyed by all the offers of support.

You can donate to the NZ Red Cross Tropical Cyclone Appeal: www.redcross.org.nz