THE United Nations on Tuesday launched an urgent appeal for nearly US$30 million to provide life-saving assistance in Vanuatu after the island nation was ravaged by cyclone Pam.The UN’s humanitarian organisation said it had launched a flash appeal for US$29.9 million to help 166,000 people in the Pacific archipelago after it was hit by the cyclone on March 13.

“That is more than half of the population of this island nation,” OCHA spokesman Jens Laerke told reporters in Geneva.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Pam, a maximum category five storm, destroyed homes and crops and contaminated water supplies in Vanuatu, increasing the risk of the spread of infectious and water-borne diseases.

An estimated 110,000 people have no access to safe drinking water, while some 75,000 urgently need shelter, according to OCHA.

DIGICEL ALSO LAUNCHES APPEAL

Digicel has also officially launched an appeal for donations to collect much-needed funds to assist with relief efforts in cyclone-ravaged Vanuatu, a cluster of islands in the Pacific Ocean.

Digicel is partnering with ‘Save the Children Australia’ in collecting funds via SMS and online in an initiative that started on Tuesday.

The nation of Vanuatu was hit by a category 5 cyclone in the early hours of Saturday, March 13. Packing winds of up to 340 kilometres per hour, the cyclone caused mass destruction and devastation across much of Vanuatu, especially in the outlying islands.

Save the Children Australia is working around the clock to provide food, water, shelter and other basic necessities to the most vulnerable communities; and all monies donated will go towards those efforts.

Promoted primarily on social media, the telecommunications provider is urging customers to stand #TogetherForVanuatu and to donate to Save the Children’s Cyclone Pam appeal by either texting to donate or donating online.

Digicel customers can instantly donate $1 by texting into the short code 9222 in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Nauru. Non-Digicel customers can also help by donating online at:https://donate.savethechildren.org.au/digicel.