Vanuatu

94 percent of countries (94 out of 100 countries) with current World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) loans have cut vital investments in public education, health and social protection over the past two years, according to a new report published today by Oxfam and Development Finance International (DFI).

Oxfam and its partners are preparing to respond to category 5 Tropical Cyclone Harold which made landfall on the Pacific nation of Vanuatu, affecting more than 200,000 people.

Aid should today begin to reach the hard hit southern Vanuatu islands of Tanna and Erromango, which both took the full force of the 250kmh Cyclone Pam, after rapid assessments of the islands showed absolute devastation with entire villages destroyed.

Oxfam's 10 people team in Vanuatu are reporting damage to major infraestructure like the hospital, the morgue and schools as the picture of complete devastation in Vanuatu now begins to unfold.