The president of Vanuatu has appealed for international assistance after his island nation was hit by a terrifying tropical cyclone, in what may be one of the region's worst weather disasters.
"I stand to appeal on behalf of the government and people of Vanuatu to the global community to give a lending hand in responding to these very current calamities that have struck us," Baldwin Lonsdale said during a speech at a UN conference in Sendai, Japan.
"Fellow heads of state, governments, and development partners, we have all experienced a form of disaster at one time or another. Today we appeal for your assistance," he said.
Mr Lonsdale spoke as the full extent of the damage was unknown, with limited communications in Vanuatu after Super Cyclone Pam, a maximum category five storm, slammed directly into the island nation late on Friday with gusts up to 320km per hour.
The United Nations had unconfirmed reports of 44 people killed in one province, and said that there was no clear number of deaths or injuries, but the impact of the cyclone had been "catastrophic", in a storm that France said highlighted the dangers of climate change.
Witnesses described sea surges of up to eight metres and flooding throughout the capital Port Vila after Category 5 Cyclone Pam hit the country.
Aid officials said the storm may be unprecedented in the island's history and could be one of the worst natural disasters the Pacific region has ever seen, hitting Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands before reaching Vanuatu late on Friday.
Satellite photos showed the storm covering virtually the entire archipelago.
Outlying islands may take weeks to reach, aid officials said, while a lack of clean water and widespread crop damage meant there was a real risk of hunger and disease.
Irish aid agencies are among many throughout the world participating in the relief operation for the people of Vanuatu.
Oxfam Ireland Chief Executive Jim Clarken is due to travel to Vanuatu next week to visit programmes designed to help communities reduce their risk of disaster.
Mr Clarken said it was becoming increasingly clear that aid agencies were dealing with the worst case scenario in Vanuatu.
Trocaire's Executive Director Éamonn Meehan said its partners were working in the affected areas to get aid to people who have lost their homes.
