Geneva — Vanuatu: everyone off the island
Pacific Island nations are both extremely vulnerable to natural disasters and home to some of the most remote communities on the planet. The residents of tiny Ambae Island in the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu know this all too well: volcanic eruptions have spewed ash over the island and may force the entire population of 11,600 to permanently settle elsewhere. The eruption of Ambae's Monaro Volcano led to the complete evacuation of the island last October. But weeks of new eruptions beginning in March triggered landslides and destroyed hundreds of homes, raising new risks for the population just months after most residents had returned. UNICEF says the ash has threatened water sources, forcing drinking water to be trucked daily to the entire island from the only two boreholes considered safe. Vanuatu's government says the island is a disaster zone and has ordered a permanent relocation of all residents by mid-July. But the government says it has a $93-million shortfall for resettlement and needs help from donors. And everyone on Ambae Island may not agree with the relocation plan, which would send residents to separate communities on a nearby island.
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