One week on from Vanuatu's deadly 7.3 magnitude earthquake, families hit by the disaster are still reeling from the nightmarish moment the quake hit, highlighting the need for mental health assistance alongside urgent humanitarian priorities.
An estimated 2,806 people across 11 evacuation areas are facing a very different Christmas Day to the one they'd looked forward to, having fled their destroyed or damaged homes. These estimates are likely to rise as authorities reach isolated families.
Save the Children Vanuatu acting Country Director, Lavinia Mahit-Wasinabani, says, "Tomorrow, many people around the world are celebrating Christmas, but I know for us here in Vanuatu, the feeling is one of deep sadness, along with a sense of gratitude. So many of our families are struggling with trauma, even as try to help each other."
Merelyn* and her 10-year-old son, Peter,* told Save the Children of the terrifying instant the quake tore their home apart, separating the mother from her son as he held his 9-month-old baby brother, each wondering who would die first.
Merelyn: "I was looking across the divided house and ground, towards my son carrying the baby, waiting for the moment where either them or myself will be thrown down by the shake."
Moments before, Merelyn had been in a different part of the house, sewing to get some extra money for Christmas, as Peter played with his baby brother. When the quake started, she thought it would be a small, "normal" earthquake, common for Vanuatu that lies in a seismically active area of the Pacific. But before she could grab the baby, the ground between them split apart, and Peter watched his mother as they were all thrown back and forth.
Peter: "When the ground starts to shake, I was really scared and don't know what to do. I held strong to my baby brother and waited for the moment to come where we both are going to die."
When the tremors stopped, Merelyn managed to jump across the rift and run with the children out of the house. Seconds later, the house collapsed. They watched the destruction alongside crying neighbours.
Merelyn: "I saw the house walls split symmetrically, with the ground open so wide ... I was shocked by how much damage this earthquake caused."
Children and their families have told Save the Children that they're too scared to go back into their homes, preferring tents to their damaged houses, even in the heavy rains currently hitting the area. Their anxiety has been compounded by the frequent tremors and aftershocks, one even reaching 6.1 magnitude at the weekend.
Merelyn: "I don't think I am taking my family back to this community. We are now residing in an open space with pieces of tents pulled together. I know it will take time to find a new home for my family, but I know it's best for the safety of my boys growing up."
Research shows the importance of early intervention after disasters to help children's mental health. Save the Children is standing ready to help deliver psychological first aid, and to help life approach normality for children, as safe housing returns and school buildings rebuilt.
According to the latest update from the Vanuatu Government, there have been 14 confirmed deaths and more than 210 injured, but as recovery and relief efforts continue, those numbers too are expected to increase.
In a sliding doors moment, 16-year-old Walley escaped being trapped in the Billabong store, one of the buildings in Port Vila destroyed by the earthquake.
He was on his way there to do some Christmas shopping when the earthquake struck.
"When the earthquake happened, I was in a bus near the golf course, to go to town. I was surprised the bus turned, I thought it had hit a hole and actually it was an earthquake," he said.
"I was shocked and traumatised. I didn't know what to do"
Walley had planned to go earlier, along with his aunt, but by chance didn't leave his home until the afternoon.
"If we had gone in the morning, I think I would have been at Billabong too, the building that collapsed."
Save the Children Vanuatu's acting Country Director says it is critical that families most impacted by the earthquakes receive urgent life-saving support, and that children remain a priority in the recovery efforts.
"Save the Children has been assisting families such as Peter and Wally's by supporting the distribution of relief to families in evacuation centres, including hygiene kits and basic household items as well as setting up child friendly spaces, so children are able to process the events of the last week in a safe and welcoming space," Ms Mahit- Wasinabani said.
"We know how traumatic this past week has been not only to the communities in Port Vila and across the impacted areas of Shefa Province, but even for our own staff, who are still picking up the pieces of their own lives.
"We are committed to working with partners, including the Government of Vanuatu, to ensure that children and their families receive the support they need to begin the long road to recovery. The people of Vanuatu are incredibly resilient in the face of multiple disasters, but the cumulative impact of these emergencies has taken a significant toll on our community."
Save the Children, along with partners, has set up a Child-Friendly Space at Kokoriko Manples, creating a safe haven for children aged 3-15 to recover and find joy amidst the chaos and will look to set up at places like the Vila Central Hospital and other much needed areas following requests from the Government.
Ms Mahit- Wasinabani says, "We welcomed 120 pikinini to the space, where we engaged them in play and activities to help ease the trauma they experienced. One child shared, 'I was scared running around after the quake thinking there would be another one that will crack the ground open, but after our short play, I realized I was actually playing again freely without worrying about a shake.' A community leader also reflected, 'I just realized I am still living after hearing the loud laughter and playful noises from the children."
Save the Children has a long history of responding to emergencies in the Pacific and Vanuatu and is currently supporting the Vanuatu Government to assess the earthquake's impact. We are guided by the National Disaster Management Office's plan for response and are currently working alongside partners to meet the needs of impacted communities.
Through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership's Disaster READY Program, funded by the Australian Government, Save the Children is also working with communities across Vanuatu to develop disaster preparedness plans and conduct drills to prepare for emergencies.
