Providing Humanitarian Assistance to the Republic of Vanuatu Following a Tropical Cyclone

Caption: Photo of Cyclone Pam over Vanuatu from MTSAT-2

Master of Managerial Logistics Capstone Paper:

Providing Humanitarian Assistance to the Republic of Vanuatu Following a Tropical Cyclone

Daniel J. Dale

North Dakota State University

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Introduction and Objectives

On March 13, 2015, a small island nation made international headlines after being struck

by a category five cyclone, “Pam.” The nation was Vanuatu, some 1,220 miles northeast of

Brisbane, Australia, 1,400 miles southeast of Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, and 1,550 miles

north of Auckland, New Zealand. Using this cyclone as a scenario, this paper will examine:

Phases of relief

Responsibilities of different organizations, agencies or groups

Priorities of relief

Types and quantities of supplies and equipment required

Duration of relief efforts.

By examining the country’s background, we will gain an understanding of how and why

Vanuatu was in its state at the time of the cyclone. The analysis will explain who the first to

respond were, why they were the first and to what extent these first responders were able to act.

Next we will delve into the transportation and logistics profile to see the infrastructure and

obstacles that logisticians had to overcome. Most importantly, we will walk through the

humanitarian response phase through a timeline approach of the first responders and follow-on

waves of support which Vanuatu receives from the international community. Finally, this paper

will make realistic recommendations which take into account that Vanuatu will not become a

first-world country overnight and that it cannot physically be moved to a more ideal location.

As logisticians, this is a type of scenario we must consider, regardless of our industry.

Although this paper will focus on the humanitarian logistics career field, logisticians in any

position can be faced with similar challenges should their supply chain face a natural disaster. In

this paper, I intend to illustrate the necessity of contingency planning; it is imperative to

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recognize that a disaster could strike and that having an off-the-shelf plan is the best way to

mitigate the potential of a poor situation becoming worse.

General Profile

History

The country of Vanuatu is a small, archipelago nation consisting of 83 islands located in

Oceania. Due to its small size and low population, Vanuatu has a relatively small contribution to

international history but it is important to understand the history, culture and background of the

nation prior to moving on with the paper so we can best understand some of the intricacies of

providing relief.

Figure 1: Map of Vanuatu

Evidence of Vanuatu’s first residents, the Lapita people, can be traced to pottery and

bone fragments dating as old as 1400 B.C. The Melanesian people, the predominant race at

present, arrived on the archipelago around 550 B.C. The next to arrive on Vanuatu were the

Polynesians in the 11th Century A.D. Anthropologically, Melanesian and Polynesian are very

similar but the Melanesian’s genealogy finds its roots with the Papuans, Polynesians and

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Australian Aborigines (Harewood, 2009). These cultures, as expected with an Oceania

civilization prior to the modern period, lived subsistence lives as farmers, hunters and fishermen

based around tribal communities and in some villages today life has not changed much.

The first written encounter with Vanuatu happened on May 3, 1606, when Pedro

Fernández de Quirós, a Portuguese captain serving the Spanish King, arrived at Big Bay on what

he referred to as Espiritu Santo, the largest island in the chain. De Quirós’ time on Espiritu

Santo was short-lived at only 49 days. It would be another 162 years until an outsider arrived to

the islands.

On May 21, 1768, Louis Antoine de Bougainville of France rediscovered the islands and

also pulled into Big Bay. De Bougainville and company did not stay long to explore or establish

a settlement. In 1774, the famous Captain James Cook mapped the archipelago and named it

New Hebrides, a name which stuck until Vanuatu independence in 1980. Yet still, there was no

European settlement on the islands until the 1800s (Vanuatu Country Study Guide, 2009).

Prolonged contact with the chain began in 1825 when sandalwood was discovered by an

Irish trader. At the time, sandalwood was a prized commodity for incense in China so the trade

flourished for a few decades until it died out in 1868 due to over-harvesting. The trade was one

of the first times that the islanders were exploited by Europeans. Europeans were able to

purchase sandalwood for mere trinkets, which fascinated the islanders and gave the traders very

high profits. While the sandalwood trade was the first time the islanders were exploited, it was

also the Europeans’ first experience with New Hebrides cannibalism as the islanders started

demanding tribesmen from other villages in exchange for sandalwood (Harewood, 2009).

The first missionaries from the London Missionary Society arrived in Erromango Island

in 1839 and two were promptly killed and eaten by the New Hebrides tribesmen. From that

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point until Christianity had taken a foothold, missionaries stayed close to Polynesian teachers

who received a sort of respect from the New Hebrides people. Presbyterian missionaries had the

greatest influence and where followed by a Melanesian Anglican diocese in 1860 and the Roman

Catholics in 1897. The missionaries pushed for the islanders to give up their traditional values in

favor of Christianity, yet in some areas Christian and traditional religions mixed or traditional

religions at least were tolerated (Harewood, 2009). The missionaries would soon come to the

rescue of the New Hebrides people as they were exploited again, yet this time for labor rather

than resources.

In the 1860s, the practice of “blackbirding” became prevalent as wealthy farmers were

looking for sources of cheap labor in Australia, Fiji, New Caledonia, and the Samoan Islands.

Blackbirding was a form of indentured servitude that often started with kidnapping the

prospective worker. Typically, the worker was kept for three years and at the end of service

would be given a musket, European clothes and a trip back to an island, but not necessarily their

home. Europeans stooped to very low practices in order to kidnap victims. There was an

instance where an individual dressed as a priest coaxed an entire village onto a ship under the

guise of preaching to them, kidnapping them all into forced servitude (Harewood, 2009). After

persistent lobbying by Presbyterian and other missionaries in London, blackbirding was

eventually banned completely in 1913. At its height, as many as half an entire islands’ males

were working abroad.

While the yoke of blackbirding was removed in the early 20th Century, a new one was

placed upon the New Hebrides people in the form of the “Condominium.” Officially called the

Anglo-French Convention of October 20, 1906, the Condominium was a form of joint

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governance by England and France until Vanuatu Independence. Under the Convention, and a

subsequent accord ratified in 1922, the New Hebrides became,

“A region of joint influence in which subjects and citizens of the two Signatory

Powers shall enjoy equal rights of residence, personal protection, and trade, each

of the two Powers retaining jurisdiction over its subjects or citizens, and neither

exercising a separate control over the Group” (Woodward, 2014)

Under this system, British and French citizens residing in New Hebrides were governed

by their nation’s representatives and even had separate police forces, but the New Hebrides

people were in limbo. They were citizens of neither nation and were not even allowed to leave

the archipelago without the written approval of both nations. The nations met to resolve disputes

in the Joint Court which was presided over by justices from England and France (Woodward,

2014). The islanders did not have their own form of courts until 1922 and were essentially

second-class citizens on their own land.

The Second World War brought about an immediate change to some of the islands of

New Hebrides. In March of 1942, 20,000 American troops entered the port at Efate to prepare

defenses against a Japanese advance which never came. On Efate, US Navy Seabees built a road

around the island, an airfield and even a telephone system (Sake Drenched Postcards, n.d.). That

foreign presence in a nation of only 65,000 at the time, while sizeable, was not even the largest.

Roughly two million Americans passed through the island of Santo which housed a larger

garrison. The American impact on the local economy is lasting today due to the infrastructure

left behind, but it is quickly deteriorating. American-built Quonset huts, airfields, roads, ports

and power lines are still used, which we will see in later sections (Vanuatu Country Study Guide,

2009).

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Politics

From here, Vanuatu’s history and politics merge into one narrative as the country moved

towards independence. In his book, A Political Memoir of the Anglo-French Condominium of

the New Hebrides, former British diplomat Keith Woodward provides a first-hand account of the

political situation of New Hebrides from 1953 to 1978, two years before its independence.

When Woodward first arrived in 1953, the Ni-Vanuatu (the ethnic term for indigenous people)

were not interested in independence and, for the most part, ignored the governments of the

British and French Residencies.

In the 1950s, the British and French started to take steps to allow their European citizens

and Ni-Vanuatu to have a say in government. The Advisory Council was established in 1957 to

advise the Condominium on local issues, but the council had no legislative power. Initially

comprised of four representatives from each race, British, French and Ni-Vanuatu, the Ni-

Vanuatu membership was increased to eight in 1958. Additionally, Local Councils were formed

which had the power to govern the local Ni-Vanuatu but did not have jurisdiction over the

Europeans.

1964 brought one of the first movements against the Condominium in the form of the

Nagriamel movement which sought to stop European purchasing and clearing of land for

plantations. In 1971, a leader of the movement even petitioned the United Nations for assistance

but to no avail.

The path towards self-governance was laid in 1974 when a joint British-French meeting

led to the formation of a legislative body called the Representative Assembly. This assembly

was elected in November 1975 with a body of forty-two members: twenty-nine elected

representatives, nine appointed to represent Economic Interests and four hereditary chiefs.

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Municipal Councils in the towns of Port Vila and Luganville and Community Councils in rural

areas were also elected. The joint meeting dictated universal suffrage and there was an 83

percent voter turnout to the elections (Woodward, 2014).

The next elections were set by the Condominium to take place in November 1979 with an

additional twist; the promise of independence in July 1980. The elections took place and there

were citizen demonstrations in the capitol of Port Vila during that time which then escalated as

independence neared and frustration with Condominium rule was expressed. On June 30, 1980,

the Republic of Vanuatu declared its independence from the Condominium which was greeted

by the presence of troops from Papua New Guinea to keep the peace (Harewood, 2009).

The new government’s legislature retained most of its pre-independence structure, but the

executive and judiciary branches had to be formed. The head of state, the president, is elected by

an Electoral College consisting of Parliament and the presidents of Regional Councils, and only

holds ceremonial powers. The Parliament is a 52-member, unicameral body, led by the Prime

Minister who is elected by a three-fourths majority. In addition to Parliament, the Council of

Chiefs is elected by district councils to advise the government on matters of culture and

language. The Prime Minister and his appointed Council of Ministers comprise the executive

branch of government. The judiciary branch, the Supreme Court, is headed by a chief justice and

up to three other judges. The legal system is based on British common law.

Vanuatu maintains close ties to the Condominium powers but has moved closer to the

regional powers of Australia and New Zealand. Most investment and foreign aid come from

those countries. The government maintains diplomatic ties with 74 nations and has

representation in the United Nations, as well. Vanuatu even provided ten security personnel to a

UN peacekeeping mission to the Solomon Islands in 1999 to enforce the peace agreement in

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Bougainville. Additionally, Vanuatu has close ties to other small, South Pacific nations and is a

member of the Pacific Island Forum, the Pacific Community and the Melanesian Spearhead

Group (MSG) (Vanuatu Country Study Guide, 2009).

The MSG is a fair trade agreement between Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and the

Solomon Islands and Vanuatu's most active trade forum. Under the agreement, goods produced

within MSG countries are given preferential duty free access when imported to other member

nations. Vanuatu is also a member of three other trade forums. It has signed the Pacific Islands

Countries Agreement but does not trade with the countries aside from those which are part of the

MSG agreement. The government has participated in meetings under the Africa Caribbean

Pacific Europe Partnership Agreement but has not ratified the agreement. Finally, on 24 August

2012, Vanuatu was accepted as the 157th member of the World Trade Organization (Customs

and Island Revenue Department, n.d.). These organizations and treaties will be important when

Vanuatu is in a position of need following a disaster.

Despite these political developments of the past 3 decades, there remains rampant

corruption throughout the elite and the government. As an example, a 2013 news story by SBS

Dateline, an Australian news agency, reported on how an USD800,000 grant from Australian

Agency for International Development for infrastructure funded only one cyclone-proof toilet,

which is for tourist use only. Because financial reports from the tourist committee had not been

published between 2004 and 2012, no one knows what happened to an estimated USD500,000

which should have entered the local economy from port fees and taxes. In an interview, Prime

Minister Moana Carcasses Kalosil described the corruption as endemic: “People used to say that

the politician is corrupt, but now it is everywhere…it’s the civil servant is corrupted, everyone is

corrupted.” According to Kalosil, corruption was rampant because it went unpunished

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(Vanuatu's Broken Dreams, 2013). Corruption of this magnitude needs to be taken into account

when financial donations and investments are made; protocol must be put in place to ensure

transparency and that the funds are used appropriately.

Demographics and Culture

Vanuatu is a monocultural society with a population of roughly 279,800 people (Tourism

News, 2015). 98.5 percent of the population is Ni-Vanuatu of Melanesian origin and 93 percent

are Christian (WolframAlpha, 2015). The European population, the second highest, has shrank

from 2,000 in 1906 at the beginning of the Condominium to 1,500.

According to the tourism company Lonely Planet, the Ni-Vanuatu people are generally

friendly and welcoming but live on what can be referred to as “island time.” Keeping in line

with the expectation of island cultures, a strict adherence to time is not as valued in Ni-Vanuatu

culture as it is in the West.

Men are seen as the dominate gender in Vanuatu society and are regarded as strong

because they have the responsibility to provide for their family. A sign of a man’s strength and

wealth are the number of pigs he owns. Pigs are still seen as a form of currency in some respects

and are highly regarded culturally. This is apparent as tusks are on the national flag and

commonly presented as gifts to dignitaries (Harewood, 2009).

Women are not treated as equals to men and are left to do the domestic chores, such as

cooking, cleaning, childrearing and caring for her husband’s pigs. There has been a progressive

shift in the last few years and there are now two women members of parliament, but for the most

part gender roles have not changed. Childrearing can be described as “it takes a village to raise a

child.” In Vanuatu, it is not uncommon to find children unsupervised by their parents or living

with relatives on other islands.

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An important traditional part of village life is tabu and the segregation of genders. At the

heart of each village is a nakamal, or men’s house where adult males socialize. There is another

area on the edge of the village which is reserved for childbirth or women who are menstruating.

For either gender to enter the other’s area is a violation of tabu and can result in a fine paid in

pigs to the chief (Harewood, 2009).

Being a traditional culture, Vanuatu villages often celebrate their heritage and holidays

through rituals, dances and elaborate ceremonies. A ceremony which Vanuatu is known for is

N’gol” or Pentecost Land Diving and is argued to be a predecessor to modern bungee jumping.

Land Diving is a ritual where men and boys prove their masculinity by jumping off of tree and

branch structures, their ankles bound by vines and intentionally touch the ground below them.

This ritual is meant to not only showcase the man but bless the season’s yam harvest (Vanuatu

Country Study Guide, 2009).

Economy

Like its size and population, Vanuatu’s economy is small. In 2013, its Gross Domestic

Product (GDP) ranked 206th in the world at USD828.2 million per year. This equated to

USD3,277 per person which, compared to the United States GDP per capita of USD53,042 in the

same year, is miniscule. As seen in Figure 2, GDP History from 1979 to 2013, despite the small

size of the economy, it has grown substantially since 2003 due to an increase in tourism and

exports (Vanuatu Country Study Guide, 2009).

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Figure 2: GDP History from 1979 to 2013

80 percent of Vanuatu citizens are involved in the agriculture industry so it is

unsurprising that agricultural products are essentially the only exports from Vanuatu, with

coconut products consistently being the largest export. There was a total of USD55.3 million of

exports in 2014 with 44 percent of that being copra (dried coconut meat), coconut oil and fresh

coconut meat. The other top five exports are kava, beef and cattle by products, cocoa and

timber. Exports took a large decrease in 2012 and 2013 due to a poor coconut harvest and

exports decreased to USD36.7 million in 2013 but recovered to 2011 levels in 2014.

Vanuatu’s trade economy is characterized by a large deficit between exports and imports

due to Vanuatu’s limited ability to produce high-value products and its demand for products it

cannot produce, such as machinery and fuel. In 2014, Vanuatu imported USD276 million worth

of goods which creates a USD220 million deficit and is higher than the 2011 deficit of

USD192.5 million (2012 and 2013 are excluded due to the low coconut harvest which provide an

inaccurate picture of a standard deficit). Machinery and transportation equipment is the largest

category of imports with 26 percent of the total. Food and animals, fuel, basic finished products

and miscellaneous goods round out the top five import categories (Trade News, 2015).

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Tourism greatly compensates for Vanuatu’s high trade deficit with an average of 109,026

visitors per year between 2012 and 2014. Of that number, the largest nationality is Australian at

over 55 percent. Tourists typically arrive in Efate or Santo by cruise ship and stay for an average

of 10.8 days and only 2.5 percent actually visit the outlying islands. The number of tourist by

nationality has remained consistent since 2011 except for two: tourists from other Pacific islands

has doubled to 6,630 and from China has tripled to 1,563 (Tourism News, 2015).

Vanuatu is known for its international business actions as a tax haven and a flag of

convenience country, which accounts for 12 percent of the Gross National Product. Vanuatu was

known as a tax haven while under the Condominium and has retained that status by being

involved in banking, insurance and gambling. The country passed a 2008 law which made the

business on the archipelago more transparent but it is still a well-known tax haven which had

over USD700 million of international assets in its banks in 2012, up from USD300 million in

2006 (Van Fossen, n.d.). As a flag of convenience country, over 600 ships from 15 nations

sailed with the Republic of Vanuatu flag (Vanuatu Country Study Guide, 2009).

Security

Security and law enforcement is the responsibility of the Vanuatu Police Force (VPF)

which is overseen by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The VPF is an organization of 547 officers

and has commands in Port Vila and Luganville. There are twelve other stations and posts on

other islands but there are some islands without a police presence. On those islands, crimes are

reported to police who arrive in a couple days or matters are handled by chiefs using the kastom

system, a traditional system of justice (Forsyth, 2009).

There are two sub organizations to the VPF, and Vanuatu Mobile Force (VMF) and the

Vanuatu Police Maritime Wing (VPMW). The VMF is a 300-person strong paramilitary force

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charged with the enforcement of the country’s sovereignty and providing law enforcement above

that of a normal patrol officer. As mentioned in the politics section, Vanuatu sent ten VMF

personnel to Papua New Guinea as part of a UN Peacekeeping Force. The force is poorly

equipped and receives only 2.5 percent of Vanuatu GDP as its budget (DeRouen, 2005).

The VPMW is charged with enforcement of the Exclusive Economic Zone to prevent

illegal fishing in Vanuatu waters. The wing is mostly Australian funded and advised. In 1987,

the Australians donated the RVS Tukoro for patrolling waters and refitted the vessel in 2013 for

free. They also donate maritime air surveillance hours by chartering a private aircraft so VPMW

members can scout for illegal fishing from the air and relay the information to the RVS Tukoro

(Royson, 2015).

International Aid

Funding and maritime advice is only one method of aid which Australia provides to

Vanuatu. The country is the top investor and aid provider with a planned 2015 to 2016 official

development assistance budget of USD44.5 million (Development Assistance in Vanuatu, 2015).

New Zealand contributes the second highest amount and had a 2014 to 2015 budget of USD24

million (Vanuatu: New Zealand Aid, 2015).

Vanuatu remains close to its Condominium governors by being a member of the British

Commonwealth and French League of Nations (Vanuatu Country Study Guide, 2009). France is

the fourth largest investor, behind Australia, Japan, and New Zealand and the top non-Pacific

exporter of supplies (La France et le Vanuatu, 2015). Interestingly, Cuba is the largest trainer of

Ni-Vanuatu doctors since 2008 and 39 are expected to graduate from Havana’s Latin America

Medical School in 2015 (Roberts, 2015).

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Additionally, Vanuatu receives aid and investments from multinational organizations

such as the UN Development Program, South Pacific Bureau of Economic Cooperation, World

Bank and Asian Development Bank (Vanuatu Country Study Guide, 2009). One of these

projects will be discussed in the upcoming ground transportation section. All of these countries

and organizations would play a major part in the response to a cyclone due to their proximity to

Vanuatu and/or ability to provide funding to rebuild.

Transportation Profile

Using the Digital Logistics Capability Assessment tool created by World Food

Programme (WFP) Logistics, information on seaports, airports and ground transportation has

been compiled into the following sections. The assessment describes Vanuatu's transportation

market as,

"Quite small with only a few companies. They are generally poorly equipped and

not very reliable in regards to any timing and deadlines mainly due to cultural and

weather issues and the difficulties in finding skilled personnel and an environment

that culturally lives at a slow pace" (Vanuatu DLCA, 2011).

Network and transportation hub maps from the assessment are at the end of this section.

Sea

Vanuatu’s lifeline to the outside world is through sealift; however, it has a rudimentary

port system. In total there are 54 operational ports amongst the islands which receive goods at

regular intervals from six interisland cargo ships. There are 20 notable wharves at 12 ports

throughout the archipelago which are in various states of repair and use. Of those 12 ports, Port

Vila and Port Santo receive the most traffic (see Table 1, Major International Ports). In order for

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a ship and crew to clear customs and immigration, the ship must stop at Port Vila Port, Port

Santo, Port Sola or Port Lenakel before transiting to any of the other islands or ports.

Table 1: Major International Ports

Port Vila Port Port Santo

Operator Port Vila Port Authority and

Vanuatu Marine Department

Port Vila Port Authority and

Vanuatu Marine Department

Wharves 1 wharf for cargo/cruise ships

Max length: 700 ft

Max draft: 35 ft

1 wharf for cargo/cruise ships

Max length: 450 ft

Max draft: 33 ft

Annual Ships 200 (avg. 6 per week) 200

Annual Throughput (TEUs) 12,600 4,915

TEU Capacity 20,000 Unknown

Stevedoring company IFIRA (Note: described as

most expensive and least

efficient stevedoring company

in the Pacific)

NISCOL

Cargo Handling Equipment Mobile cranes: 2 (66 ton

capacity)

Forklifts: 10 (range 2.75-35

ton)

Mobile cranes: 5 (79 ton

capacity)

Forklifts: 6

Container Information Facilities: 20’ and 40’

Freight stations: 20’ and 40’

Reefer stations: 20’ and 40

Reefer connection pts: 20’

Daily handling: 320

Facilities: 20’ and 40’

Freight stations: 20’ and 40’

Reefer stations: None

Reefer connection pts: None

Daily handling: Unknown

Storage Space Wharf Warehouse: 10,700 sqft

Customs Warehouse: 8,600

sqft

Wharf Warehouse: 10,700 sqft

Transit shed: 10,400 sqft

NISCOL warehouse: Unknown

POL Yes, tanker every 50 days Yes

While the main wharves have cargo handling equipment, such as cranes and forklifts,

interisland ships are mostly offloaded manually. Some of the ships are roll-on, roll-off with a

low hull in order to safely navigate around the reefs.

Ports are vital for a humanitarian operation because they are the cheapest way to transport

bulk cargo but do not provide an immediate response capability. A ship sailing from Auckland,

New Zealand will take one week minimum to reach Port Vila while a ship coming from

Brisbane, Australia will take two and a half weeks to arrive (China Navigation, 2015). Because

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Australia and New Zealand have more robust transportation infrastructure, these countries can be

used as cargo consolidation points so that relief is transported in mass and also does not

overwhelm the few international airports. Ports are going to be the main receiving point for fuel,

as well, for which there will be an even higher demand if electricity is shut down and a there is a

higher demand for transportation than the usual scheduled routes (refer to Figure 3, Seaports).

Air

Air transportation services and infrastructure are limited throughout Vanuatu and the 33

airports are broken into five categories based on size, airfield composition, and number of

flights. Category A airports are listed in Table 2 below and have international flights to

Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.

Table 2: Category A Airports

White Grass (Tanna) Bauerfield Santo Pekoa

Number Runways 1 (4,000 ft) 1 (8,500 ft) 1 (6,500 ft)

Largest Aircraft ATR-72 B737 ATR-72

POL Available Jet A-1 Jet A-1

AVGAS 100

Jet A-1

AGE/GSE/MHE Unknown Air starters

Ground power

Latrine servicing

Hi-loaders

Unknown

Airlift Information Pax: approx. 6/day Cargo: 55 aircraft/yr.

Pax: approx. 10/day

Pax: approx. 5/day

Storage Area Unknown 10,700 sqft

Haz/dangerous

Reefer/freezer

Animal quarantine

Unknown

There are three domestic Category B airfields with asphalt or grass runways ranging from

2,400 feet to 3,900 feet long. They have up to three flights per day to other islands but due to the

small aircraft only serve around 100 passengers daily. The largest numbers of airfields are

Category C, which are considered remote but have certified runways. All of these runways are

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grass and range from 1,970 feet to 2,400 feet long but only receive one to two scheduled flights

per week. The final two categories, D and E, do not have scheduled flights or are privately

owned.

There are a few charter companies which operate around the archipelago and provide

transportation via helicopter or small airplane, but the majority of flights are operated by Air

Vanuatu. The company owns a B737-800 for international flights and has a small fleet for

domestic flights: five medium sized passenger aircraft, eight small planes (including a seaplane)

and two helicopters. A service which is very important for the upcoming scenario is Vanuatu’s

medical evacuation capability, which is provided by the charter companies. According to the

WFP’s contact list, there are three small airplanes which have the ability to transport stretchers,

in addition to seven helicopters.

Airports are going to be the immediate line of communication for relief to arrive

following a cyclone; however they will need to be assessed first. Category A and B airfields

have the capability and dedicated staff to make such assessments, but the lower categories might

not. The international airports can be easily overwhelmed due to the increased need for offload,

higher demand for fuel and increased customs activities. Additionally, since the aircraft sizes are

smaller it might not be possible to use equipment and they will need to be offloaded by hand.

Since the first days of any operation will set the tone and pace for the remainder, a highly

efficient use of air transportation will be vital to the relief mission (refer to Figure 4, Airports).

Ground

Only road transportation services are available but are minimal due to the poor state of

the road network on the islands. Of the 665 miles of roads, the majority would be considered

trails by Western standards and the only 159 miles of roads which are paved are centralized on

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the islands of Efate and Santo (Vanuatu Country Study Guide, 2009). Most trucking services are

concentrated around those areas and are limited to a couple tons. Four-wheel or all-wheel drive

vehicles are required to reach most areas (refer to Figure 5, roads).

Despite what appears to be a failing public works program, major progress was made in

the late 2000s to improve Vanuatu’s road system. In 2006, the Millennium Challenge

Corporation, a US government organization charged with combating global poverty through

economic investment and policy advice, entered into a five year, USD65 million compact to

improve public works systems. In addition to engineering projects and policy reforms, the

compact funded the revitalization projects on the roads in Efate and Santo which were repaved

and widened which has greatly improved citizens’ lives in the area. As a testament to the

improvements, travel time around the Ring Road in Efate was reduced by 50 percent and up to

75 percent on Santo (Vanuatu Compact, 2010).

These new roads will greatly benefit relief deliveries, but this only helps on Efate and

Santo because the poor infrastructure on other islands will inhibit the movement of supplies

throughout the country. With this in mind, cargo will need to be prepared in a manner which is

not too big for the roads or can be broken down to be separated into smaller trucks. The benefit

to ground transportation over air or sea transportation is the ability to reach inland areas in the

dense forests. While the air and sea ports will be the hubs of logistics activity, the roads will be

the spokes and final method of transportation of relief supplies.

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Figure 3: Seaports

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Figure 4: Airports

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Figure 5: Road Network

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Logistics Profile

As evident by its involvement in international trade organizations discussed in the politics

section of this paper, Vanuatu is making headway on regulating its logistics practices. The

Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Works Utilities is charged with the majority of

infrastructure management, as well as seaports and aviation management. Logistics practices are

centrally planned and controlled through statutory bodies of government agencies, which will be

elaborated on in this section, while transportation is largely privatized with government control

for customs and security. This section will describe customs regulations, local and international

regulations on maritime, air and land transportation and management as well as island petroleum

management characteristics.

Customs

Customs and Island Revenue (CIR) is a 90-person agency charged with border control,

import and export inspections and tax collection; very diverse requirements for such a small

agency. Of the 90 employees, only 25 are strictly dedicated to customs and border control. Like

a typical customs agency, CIR inspects sea and air shipments in and out of the country to check

for illegal items and collect fees. Export bans are limited to acetic anhydride, explosives and

explosive components but there are some restrictions on exported good, such as agriculture

products. The top five exports (coconut products, kava, beef and cattle by products, cocoa and

timber) must be coordinated through the Ministries of Trade, Agriculture or Environment prior to

departing Vanuatu (Customs and Island Revenue Department, 2015).

Import controls are much more stringent. Vanuatu bans the import of beef and copra

(both are top agriculture exports), offensive weapons, drugs and ozone depleting chemicals. The

government imposes a Value Added Tax (VAT) of 12.5 percent on the majority of goods

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imported to the country. The VAT was modeled after a New Zealand tax code and created in

coordination with the Asian Development Bank in 1998. Only goods intended for revenue

making endeavors qualify for the VAT and the tax brought USD48.1 million of revenue to the

government (Customs and Island Revenue Department, 2015). Importantly for this scenario,

non-profit donations or goods for non-profit organizations are not charged a VAT; however,

importers must prove non-profit intentions by submitting an Exemption Certificate Application

(Vanuatu DLCA, 2011).

Maritime Management

Vanuatu does not have stringent maritime requirements to enter its ports. It is a member

of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and has implemented, ratified and is compliant

with IMO regulations as well as those from the International Convention for Prevention of

Pollution from Ships, International Ship and Port Facility Security Code and the Tokyo

Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control in the Asia-Pacific Region (Tokyo MOU)

(Batie, n.d.). Vanuatu interacts with trade partners through the Tokyo MOU through the

mandated Asia-Pacific Computerized Information System. With this system, exporting nations

provide inspection data to importing nations to better determine what ship or container needs to

be inspected (Tokyo MOU, n.d.).

While conducting inspections is the job of CIR, the Department of Ports and Harbor,

within the Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Works Utilities, is responsible for operating and

managing the international and important domestic ports. It ensures facilities are adequate for

maritime operations as well as pilotage into port. The two stevedoring operations listed in the

transportation profile are considered statutory bodies of the Ministry and it has representation on

the board of each body (Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Works Utilities, 2011).

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Aviation Management

Similar to maritime management, Vanuatu is involved in international aviation

management by being a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization and staffs a

five-employee Civil Aviation Authority to be compliant with those regulations (Ministry of

Infrastructure and Public Works Utilities, 2011). Vanuatu also signed the Pacific Island Civil

Aviation Safety and Security Treaty, which established the Pacific Aviation Safety Office

(PASO). PASO’s permanent headquarters is in Port Vila and regulates air worthiness, aviation

safety and flight operations for the thirteen member states (PASO, n.d.). PASO fills the void of

an aviation regulatory agency for small Pacific island nations rather than each forming their own

agency like larger countries, such as the Federal Aviation Administration in America.

Petroleum Management

The Pacific Petroleum Company (PPC) has a defacto monopoly on fuel but ensures

transparency through constant communication with the government. Overall, the price of fuel in

Vanuatu has not changed much in the last ten years. Petroleum products are imported from two

countries: ground fuel (petrol and diesel) from Singapore and aviation fuel (AvGas and Jet A-1)

from Australia. There is only a combined 5.2 million gallon capacity in PPC bulk storage areas

in Port Vila and Santo for all four fuel types. PPC receives a fuel ship every 50 days but

maintains a buffer stock of 60 days in case of delay. If there is a spike in demand, such as

following a natural disaster, PPC stocks can be resupplied in one or two days from nearby

islands where they also have fuel stocks (Vanuatu DLCA, 2011).

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Scenario

On March 13, 2015, Cyclone Pam struck Vanuatu in what was described as the “worst

case scenario” by the head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian

Affairs for the Pacific, and is the baseline for the following scenario (O’Connor, 2015). It is not

unlikely for Vanuatu to be impacted by a tropical cyclone, but the likelihood of it being a

category five storm is very low. Figure 6 below shows the average number of cyclones per year

since 1970 around Australia and Oceania; Vanuatu is in the 0.4 to 0.6 area (Tropical Cyclones,

2011). Figure 7 shows the category five storms, also since 1970, in the area (Masters, 2015).

Vanuatu was hit by Cyclone Fran on March 9, 1992 and it devastated the island of Erromango’s

homes and crops (Tropical Cyclone Fran, n.d.). The most recent category five cyclone was

Cyclone Susan on January 7, 1998. The map shows that Vanuatu was relatively spared from a

direct hit but a woman was killed when a coconut tree was uprooted due to high winds and fell

on her (“Cyclone Death,” n.d.).

Figure 6: Average Annual Number of Tropical Cyclones

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Figure 7: Tracks of all Category 5 Tropical Cyclones (Prior to Cyclone Pam)

Situation

The cyclone for this scenario makes landfall at night at approximately 11 PM, with

sustained winds between 250-270 kmph and gusts up to 320 kmph. The storm generates

approximately eight inches of rainfall between making landfall to leaving the archipelago

(Vanuatu: Cyclone Pam, 2015). Coastal flooding started a day prior to the cyclone arriving on

Vaitupu Island and the storm surge reached two feet above tidal levels at their peak (Erdman,

2015). The country’s National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) declared a red alert in

preparation for the storm, but all the country can do is gather supplies and sit and wait for the

storm to arrive.

Immediately following the storm, the country is in a declared state of emergency.

Communications infrastructure has been devastated, so little is known about the on-ground state

of infrastructure, supply inventories, buildings or casualties but it can be expected that there is

extensive damage on all islands. To best describe response actions, the scenario is divided into

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six phases: Assess, Clear, Respond, Rebuild, Redeploy, and Prepare, in addition to pre-storm

activities. Phases Assess, Clear and Respond would happen almost simultaneously but not out of

sequential order.

Pre-storm

The silver lining to a cyclone as opposed to other natural disasters (earthquakes

especially) is that there will be a warning and time for preparation. Thanks to meteorological

services, Vanuatu should have about three days to prepare for a storm and during this time they

should warn the public, evacuate, and prepare for impact.

News of the coming storm needs to be passed to all islanders, especially the ones living

pre-modern, traditional lives. The government can use a text message system to reach 80 to 90

percent of the population and loud speaker announcements, TV and radio announcements or

police going door to door to notify the remainder (Bolitho, 2015). For outlying islands with

people who have not acknowledged receipt of messages, a messenger should be sent by air or sea

to ensure that all understand the seriousness of the situation.

Evacuations should commence a few days prior to impact. Ni-Vanuatu who are old, frail,

or intensely sick should be evacuated to high ground and strong buildings such as hospitals or

schools. The rest of the population needs to move inland as well and get to a similar shelter if

possible. Villages on islands which do not have ground over 10 feet above sea level should be

evacuated to a larger island. In addition to people, aircraft and ships which are able to evacuate

should do so to ensure they can be used during relief. If those assets cannot leave the country

they should be secured in a hangar or on land so they do not become obstacles at air or sea ports.

Tourists and expatriates are a major concern but need to take evacuation measures on

their own or are the responsibility of their home-nation government. Since most tourists are

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Australian, their government should charter commercial aircraft, ships or use military aircraft

and ships to evacuate their citizens.

The Vanuatu government and international community will have a lot to prepare prior to

the storm arriving. The first priority should be gathering, stockpiling and distributing supplies,

such as food, water, medicine and temporary shelters. Families should be directed to stockpile

food and water as well to alleviate strain on the government following impact. The distribution

of supplies will help the relief effort by shortening the distance supplies will need to travel to

those in need because they will not be concentrated in a few locations on main islands. It will

also increase the capabilities of smaller islands. Additionally, this prevents single points of

failure and the loss of supplies in bulk in case of storage facility damage. First responders, such

as the Red Cross, police and medical professionals, should be distributed along with the supplies.

Again, this is to ensure relief is closer to those in need but it is very important that these

personnel are staged in hardened facilities to prevent them from becoming victims along with the

citizens they are meant to help.

As mentioned previously, the facility infrastructure on Vanuatu is poor and lacking the

strength to withstand a cyclone. Citizens and the government will need to do their best to

strengthen buildings by boarding up windows and securing roofs. Loose items, such as furniture

and tools, need to be brought indoors to prevent them from becoming projectiles. A preventive

measure unique to tropical islands is knocking down loose coconuts to prevent the same concern.

Finally, farmers will need to harvest and store what crops and livestock they can.

Previous cyclones, like Fran, devastated crops and the ability to continue exports following the

storm will be important for the economy.

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The international community will need to start staging relief supplies and workers by

using locations in Australia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand. Basic necessities and first

responders should be prepared for airlift on military, then civilian aircraft. Some of those

supplies should be prepared for airdrops as the status of the airfields will not be known

immediately following the storm. Cargo handling equipment and vehicles should be prepared

for airlift as well due to the quick necessity for that equipment in order to get the flow of supplies

moving during response. Bulk supplies, rebuilding material and fuel should be containerized for

sealift and, if possible, ships should begin sailing for Vanuatu via a route which is out of the

projected storm's path.

End state: One day prior to the storm making landfall, supplies and personnel are staged

safely and evenly around the archipelago, citizens are alerted and secured, facilities are hardened

and the international community is on standby.

Assess

Although the international community will have done a lot of preparation for this

cyclone, foreign governments and organizations are not be allowed to take action until the

government of Vanuatu requests assistance. Governments with close ties (Australia and New

Zealand) should take advantage of their preexisting overflight and access agreements to assess

the situation and reestablish communications so the world can receive that request for aid.

With communications around the country being knocked out, the status of needs,

infrastructure and casualties will be unknown without an assessment. The quickest way to assess

the situation will be through overflights. This should be the responsibility of the Australian and

New Zealand militaries because they are trained for this situation. Once the seas are calm

enough, military ships with helicopters can move in range to do assessments, as well. The first

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focus will be on the primary logistics ports on Efate and Santo and then spread to outlying

islands based on population or proximity to one another. Small, low draft ships can start moving

in to assess ports and deliver transportation experts. The primary mission of these assessments

will be a better situation picture and secondary will be delivering basic supplies and

communications equipment. This equipment, such as satellite phones, should be passed to

reliable government, community or business officials who will accurately relay their status and

requirements.

Assessments of logistics infrastructure should include the extent of damage, amount of

time until the facilities are initially operational, new capacities based on damage and what is

required to return to full operations. Casualty figures and requirements will need to be passed so

that response can be best tailored for the situation. Sending body bags when the requirement is

for bandages would be an assessment failure and a waste of resources.

The timeframe for getting boots on the ground in Vanuatu should be by Day Two.

Unarmed military personnel should be parachuted into Efate to begin liaising between the

Vanuatu government and their nation. Military and civilian experts can be landed on beaches to

begin the same work. These experts should bring drones and engineering equipment to get a

better understanding of structural damage and damage in rural areas.

End state: By the end of Day Two, the initial status of logistics facilities, casualties and

urgent needs should be known by the international community and response experts should be on

ground to liaise between Vanuatu and responding organizations.

Clear

The clearing of debris will take place almost simultaneously to assessments and will be

accomplished by the Ni-Vanuatu. Once able, equipment will be brought out of its staged

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locations to prepare for an influx of supplies and aid workers. Clearing operations on different

transportation networks will happen at the same time, although there will be a priority system to

ensure best distribution of resources for fastest response to the disaster. The first priority will be

to clear the international airports of Bauerfield, White Grass and Santo Pekoa using forklift,

bulldozers and manual labor. While clearing debris, timber should be assessed and stored for

potential to use for rebuilding since wood is the primary material for homes or can be used for

temporary shelters.

Airfield and aircraft integrity will need to be accurately checked to ensure major

operations can commence. Runways and parking aprons will be more stressed than usual due to

the heavy aircraft and amount of cargo that will descend upon Vanuatu so damage will need to

be repaired and patched immediately. Aircraft left in hangars will need to be inspected for

airworthiness in case the hangar was damaged and, once able, should start shuttling supplies and

people. Repairs should be made based on ease of repair because the priority is to get aircraft in

the air, not necessarily to fix larger aircraft first.

The second priority is to clear seaports in Port Vila and Santo because larger ships will

take more time to arrive than cargo aircraft. Just like airfields will need to be checked for

integrity, wharves will need similar attention to make sure they can hold the same capacity as

before the storm. Obstacles and debris will need to be cleared, in addition to draft assessments

which can be done by divers. These divers will need to ensure that sunken ships or sediment

have not decreased the draft of the port and flag new obstacles. The fuel receipt and storage

facilities at the ports will need to be cleared as well and repaired as necessary. Collapsed storage

buildings should be demolished so that temporary storage can be set up in their place. Islands

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without wharf infrastructure should identify beaches which can be used for landing on roll-

on/roll-off ships or those with low drafts.

Roads will need similar debris clearing operations but will face a bigger challenge due to

already poor conditions. The paved roads on Efate and Santo should not have structural damage

since they were improved by the Millennium Challenge Corporation in 2011 and at least one

lane of traffic will need to be opened prior to returning the road to full status. Rural roads will be

the biggest challenge because they could washout completely. These roads should be patched

with temporary or semi-permanent materials such as dirt or timber. Bridges may face similar

washout issues and their integrity must be carefully inspected to prevent loss of lives and

resources if a bridge were to collapse during relief operations. Vanuatu will likely need to reach

out for assistance in acquiring temporary bridges like pontoons from foreign militaries or

companies.

The final clearing element which must be done quickly is the clearing of the dead in order

to prevent the spread of disease and low morale. Seeing bodies lying in the open will only

worsen the feeling of hopelessness of the situation so organizing burials quickly and honorably is

a government responsibility. Dead livestock and other animals will need to be buried or burned

as well to prevent disease and also the temptation of eating rotten meat.

End state: Logistics hubs on and lines of communication to Efate and Santo are open for

a more robust response and bodies are removed within the first week. Clearing operations will

spread to outlying islands based on population and infrastructure. A labor force has been

assembled from the population to continue clearing and begin response operations throughout the

islands.

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Respond

Initial response will begin as early as the assessment phase by air dropping and bringing

basic necessities to get the population through each day. Basic supplies during the respond phase

expand from water, food and medical supplies to include fuel, larger equipment and shelter.

Based on the catastrophic situation, it is assumed that most bulk water supplies (wells, streams,

etc.) are contaminated by sea water, debris or waste. During the first rounds of resupply

operations, bottled water and purification tablets should be transported to ease distribution

throughout the villages. Since bottles are not a cost effective method for water transportation,

water purification systems should quickly follow in the second wave. Military and private ships

with these systems should be situated offshore to pump water into containers and be transported

to shore via boat or helicopter. Based on a population of 280,000 Ni-Vanuatu and aid workers,

animal requirements, cleaning requirements, and a daily consumption rate of 64 ounces of water

per day per person, daily water requirements should be estimated at a minimum of 200,000

gallons (64 ounces multiplied by 400,000).

Food should be high calorie, nutritious and high density to be healthy for the Ni-Vanuatu

but also light and compact for transport. Rice is a simple and cheap source of food and is often

provided by different countries or organizations during relief efforts (WFP, AusAID, USAID,

etc.). A minimum daily supply of 420,000,000 calories should be the consumption planning

factor based on 280,000 mouths to feed and 1,500 calories per day. Animal and pet feed will

need to be imported as soon as the human situation begins to stabilize to prevent further impact

on livestock or morale (pigs are currency and pride in Ni-Vanuatu culture and beef is an

important export).

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Medical supplies will expand from first aid and care to hygiene and sanitation supplies

such as alcohol wipes and soap. Also, first aid kits should be distributed due to the chance of

injuries during clearing and rebuilding projects. Medical personnel will also need additional

supplies such as antibiotics and blood. These personnel who augment and expand existing

capabilities are the most important resource to be deployed.

Medical resources and personnel should be sent to villages and evacuate the injured as

necessary. The goal is to send care to the wounded, not wounded to the care. Intermediate field

hospitals should be established on Vanua Lava in the north of the archipelago, Ambrym in the

center and Tanna in the south to provide a higher level of care to stabilize critical patients and

minimize the distance of travel. These islands are centralized in their region and have airports

for medical evacuation flights. Medical evacuation flights should make use of Vanuatu assets

first and military flights in case those assets are overwhelmed. Surgical and trauma care in Efate

and Santo should be augmented with international professionals. Injuries the medical staff are

likely to face are concussions, lacerations, fractures, sprains, dehydration and, depending on food

distribution, malnutrition.

Fuel will be consumed at a higher rate following a cyclone. Power will be off line, so

generators will be used more and transportation requirements will increase as supplies are moved

around the islands. The PPC should order a fuel shipment once it is confirmed that a cyclone is

imminent so that it will arrive following the storm. Fuel bladders and barrels should be included

in supply shipments to small islands since normal distribution will be disrupted. Pumping and

filtration equipment will need to accompany those shipments so that it can be used and prevent

contamination.

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Temporary shelters are the final category of basic supplies to distribute to the population.

Tarps and tents should be distributed by family unit and meet the need to stay out of the sun or

rain. This will prevent heat-related illnesses and increase morale as comfort items return. These

shelters are not only for the Ni Vanuatu, but also for the aid workers. Considerations for bedding

and sleeping items will also need to be made.

Logistics related equipment will start flowing into the archipelago and be utilized at the

logistics hubs. Cargo handling equipment at air and sea ports (forklifts, hi-loaders, and container

cranes) should be sufficient to prevent a backlog of material. The limiting factor in offloading

aircraft or ships should be space to park or moor the vessel, not availability of equipment. Since

military assets can be deployed more quickly than their civilian equivalents, the initial operations

will be conducted by the Australian and New Zealand militaries. These operations should be

turned over to civilian organizations and companies as soon as possible.

Establishing lines of communication quickly is vital and will take both Vanuatu and

international assets to accomplish. Imported cargo vehicles will need to be all wheel drive to

deal with poor roads and should not be too large to avoid over stressing the infrastructure.

Pickups, SUVs, four wheelers and dirt bikes will also be required to scout out routes and reach

isolated villages. Intra-island air transportation should be provided by Vanuatu fleets and

augmented by military helicopters. International air transportation will have to come from the

international community since Vanuatu does not possess large cargo aircraft. Sea lines of

communication are similar, where intra-island transportation should be locally provided while

international shipping comes from the international community.

A fact of industry is that machines break, so maintenance personnel will also need to

deploy as well to repair all of this equipment. They must have the ability and permission to help

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repair equipment that was on the archipelago prior to the storm. During the assessment phase,

required maintenance parts and stocks should be relayed for import to repair Vanuatu's fleets, as

well.

Personnel are the greatest asset to be sent to Vanuatu, not only because of their skills, but

also due to the demonstration of support for the locals from the international community. The

first people to arrive should be a cadre of experts to coordinate on-ground deployments and

allocation of resources, and to relay requirements to their respective organizations. This cadre

will come from foreign militaries and specialized disaster response organizations such as the

WFP or Doctors Without Borders. When the cadre has established a plan of action with the

government of Vanuatu, technical support, like drivers or camp coordinators, will arrive. An

important group to deploy will be communication specialists who can repair infrastructure

enough to get cell phones, internet and radio operational. This ensures there is transparency as to

what is happening on Vanuatu and allow for emerging requirements to be communicated

quickly.

With this large influx of supplies and people, mobile and temporary storage facilities will

need to be deployed and established. These should be made available to multiple organizations

and not just for the organization which brought them. These facilities can take the form of tents,

fenced areas, containers or prefabricated buildings. This will assist with inventory management,

corrosion control and prevent spoilage. Temperature controlled, refrigerated and freezer storage

units will need to be established prior to bulk shipments of perishable items, like blood or food.

End state: In two to four weeks, the situation and crisis should be stabilized and

improvements are being made as daily life begins to return to normal. Children returning to

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school and some adults returning to normal work are signs that Vanuatu is transitioning from the

response phase to the rebuild phase.

Rebuild

Before beginning the discussion on rebuilding, it is necessary to state that foreign

militaries should be actively redeploying and should depart as soon as the capability they offer is

no longer needed or is replaced by civilian organizations. This prevents a perception of an

invasion or overextension of influence. Military redeployment, however, should not be too quick

and leave a void in support. For example, if air lines of communication have not been

completely reestablished, then helicopters should not depart until outlying islands are stabilized.

Rebuilding materials are going to be larger than relief supplies and mostly transported by

sea. Concrete, asphalt, metals and construction equipment are all going to need to be purchased

by the Vanuatu government although they will most likely be donated by foreign governments,

investors or organizations. Since some islands are pre-modern and still live in wood huts or

structures, rebuilding should not be an overly technical endeavor.

The repair of power plants and lines, however, will require technical skill. These were

patched up during the response phase but need to be returned to original conditions to meet

regulatory codes and engineering standards. Roads and bridges which were temporarily repaired

will need permanent solutions. Unpaved roads will need to be resurfaced with dirt or gravel and

flattened, while washed out bridges will need to be removed and rebuilt. These projects should

be accomplished by Ni-Vanuatu labor and management as a source of jobs, but will require

funding from outside the country. Finally, since the cyclone destroyed most of the crops, seeds,

fertilizer and especially farming equipment will need to be imported to prepare for the next

harvest.

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End state: All temporary structures or repairs are replaced by permanent and strong

solutions which allow life on Vanuatu to return to normal in six months to a year after the

cyclone.

Redeploy

Once the government of Vanuatu can begin handing their own affairs, civilian

organizations should begin to redeploy in a similar manner to the military. Technical advisers

and liaisons should remain in place to continue providing assistance at the government's request.

Once the time comes to depart, organizations will have to determine what to take and what to

leave.

Reusable materials should be removed from the country once permanent solutions have

been built. Large, expensive assets, such as cargo handling equipment, should also depart the

country since the organization will need it again for the next disaster to which they must respond

to. It is important that the cost of redeploying the equipment be less than the value of replacing

it. Most equipment should return via sealift to save on costs but immediate response equipment

should travel by air so it can be quickly reconstituted and prepared for the next deployment. At

the request of the Vanuatu government or people, some assets should be donated, such as

vehicles, boats and reusable supplies. Organizations considering donating assets should ensure

they are not flooding the market with excess material or creating a black market.

End state: Foreign militaries and civilian organizations have largely redeployed with the

exception of requested support equipment and advisors.

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Prepare

Following the response phase, the government and international community should start

creating After-Action Reports, including lessons learned, and should review their disaster plans

in preparation for future events. These plans should then be updated and published based on

better practices and include the entire scope of response, from pre-storm activities to rebuilding.

Along with these plans, the government should review supply distribution and consider

prepositioning materials around the country. The Ni-Vanuatu public should also receive

education to ensure they are ready for the next disaster.

Recommendations

The largest requirement to mitigate damage and ease response is infrastructure upgrades

and hardening. Vanuatu should also solicit for foreign investment and aid so that infrastructure

can better withstand the force of a cyclone. More paved roads would prevent the requirement to

repair damaged dirt roads and would expedite the transportation of supplies. Additional deep-

water wharves would increase the ability for bulk cargo to reach islands other than Efate and

Santo. This would benefit Vanuatu during disaster response and possibly bolster trade and

tourism by opening up new islands to the international market. Public buildings which are used

as shelters should be hardened and the offer should be made to the public to improve homes.

Since home life on the islands is traditional, it should not be expected for the homes to make vast

improvements.

Vanuatu should review its supply stockpile and distribution program which it runs to

ensure supplies are evenly prepositioned for a cyclone. Additionally, the PPC should build a

third fuel receipt facility and storage area so that there is a tertiary offload point in the country

that can increase the buffer stock from 60 days to more than 80 days. Contaminated fuel or fuel

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shortages are a true threat to relief success so an additional capability will mitigate the potential

for problems.

Finally, Vanuatu should exercise response plans and shelter drills. This will prepare the

public and government for their responsibilities and actions should the time come. If Vanuatu is

able to get its regional partners (Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, etc.) to participate,

it will increase the interoperability between organizations and share knowledge to best prepare

for this scenario. The government should take advantage of training opportunities if they are

offered, from organizations such as the UN or Red Cross.

Conclusion

Recovering from a catastrophic cyclone will be difficult, but is not an insurmountable

task. In this paper, we discussed the history, economy, politics, and transportation and logistics

characteristics of Vanuatu so that we can best assess the objectives of this paper:

Phases of relief: Assess, Clear, Respond, Rebuild, Redeploy and Prepare.

Responsibilities of different organizations, agencies or groups: Militaries and

specialized response groups (WFP, Doctors Without Borders) will have the primary

responsibility for assessing the situation and providing initial relief. The government

will be responsible for coordinating and directing projects on ground, requesting

support for capabilities which they cannot fill and assembling a local labor force. The

rest of the international community is responsible for supporting the needs to the

government and people as they begin the road to recovery.

Priorities of relief: The first priority is to assess the situation, establishing

communications and providing the bare necessities for life. Next will be opening

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logistics hubs in order of airport, seaport and roads. The final will be transitioning

temporary fixes to permanent solutions.

Types and quantities of supplies and equipment required: Many different types and

quantities of supplies and equipment will be required in order to respond and rebuild

following the cyclone. Basics, such as food, water, medicine, fuel and shelter, will be

required in large quantities to sustain the victims of the storm and the workers who

have arrived to help. Enough transportation assets, such as cargo planes, helicopters,

large and small ships, vehicles and cargo handling equipment will be needed to

ensure there is a sufficient amount to prevent a backlog of supplies at the ports or on

the roads.

Duration of relief efforts: from landfall to entering the rebuilding phase should take

approximately four weeks while rebuilding will take upwards of six months.

To conclude, the Republic of Vanuatu is fortunate to have wealthy neighbors and the

support of the international community to provide support for economic investment,

infrastructure improvements and disaster relief.

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Images

Cover page: http://www.realclimate.org/images//pam2.jpg

Figure 1: https://goingspecific.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/vanuatu_map.gif

Figure 2: http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=Vanuatu+GDP&lk=1

Figure 3: http://dlca.logcluster.org/display/public/DLCA/2.1+Vanuatu+Port+Assessment

Figure 4: http://dlca.logcluster.org/display/public/DLCA/2.2+Vanuatu+Aviation

Figure 5: http://dlca.logcluster.org/display/public/DLCA/2.3+Vanuatu+Road+Assessment

Figure 6: http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/climate_averages/tropical-

cyclones/index.jsp?period=all#maps

Figure 7: http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=2933