On 17 December 2024, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck 30 km west of Port Vila, Vanuatu, at 12:47 PM local time. Despite the significant damage inflicted on the infrastructure in and around Port Vila, the resilience of the affected communities shone through. Approximately 80,000 individuals faced the aftermath, with at least 14 lives lost and over 265 injuries reported. A total of 1,092 people found themselves temporarily displaced, and 570 homes were damaged, impacting 2,850 lives. Residential and public buildings, including government offices and embassies, experienced severe structural damage, while landslides further complicated road access and port operations.
The Government of Vanuatu reached out for international assistance from the United Nations on 18 December 2024, identifying critical needs. Medical supplies, repairs to medical facilities, mobile emergency medical teams (EMTs), urban search and rescue teams equipped with heavy machinery, structural engineers, environmental emergency specialists, safe drinking water, and jerry cans became priorities in this time of crisis.
The Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC) granted $1 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) rapid response window to support vital humanitarian efforts in Vanuatu.
The National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) led the response with the support of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The activation of the cluster system through the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) in the line of ministries and key humanitarian agencies, with the support from the Pacific Humanitarian Team (PHT) and its regional clusters.
Arrival of OCHA UNDAC Joint Deployment at Bauerfield International Airport at Port Vila, Vanuatu / Photo: OCHA
A United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team, deployed by OCHA, arrived to provide critical support in humanitarian coordinating incoming aid efforts. Responding positively to a request from the Government of Vanuatu, the first group of UNDAC team members reached Port Vila on 21 December 2024, where they actively contributed to the response efforts over the next three weeks. It was composed of disaster emergency response experts and operational partners, including Atlas Logistics, MapAction, iMMAP, and environmental experts.
The meeting between UNDAC, Operational partners and New Zealand USAR / Photo: OCHA/Haruka Ezaki
UNDAC Field assessment / Photo: RCO/Seci Burese
In addition, the Australian Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), comprising 71 skilled members and equipped with essential resources, including four search canines, significantly enhanced search and rescue operations. Furthermore, New Zealand’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team, made up of 36 dedicated members, joined in these vital collaborative efforts in Port Vila. Together, these teams were making an impact on the ground, demonstrating a strong spirit of international partnership and support.
UNDAC Field assessment / Photo: UNDAC-ATLAS/Emmanuel Pajot
The OCHA-UNDAC team worked alongside the NDMO, providing embedded coordination and information management capacity. Their efforts included updating national inter-cluster situation reports and the 5Ws. By facilitating a seamless transition to recovery, OCHA-UNDAC embodied the spirit of collaboration and resilience. Humanitarian efforts have focused on providing critical assistance to affected communities, ensuring guaranteed access to health services, clean water, sanitation, hygiene, protection, mental health and psychosocial support shelter, food security, logistics, and communication. This successful response marked a significant mission, highlighting the strength of the first integrated OCHA response in the Pacific in several years.
UNDAC team during team briefing / Photo: RCO/Seci Burese
Anthony Blake (Fiji), UNDAC Vanuatu Team Leader
The team worked well as everyone knew the UNDAC playbook as well as the national priorities and were able to mitigate and assure the donor and partners in the response which alleviated extra stressors on the government agencies. The deployed UNDAC team had several technical experts on the team such as an Environmental Expert, a fire engineer, a fire safety expert as well as a drone and operator from our standby partner Atlas Logistics and a GIS/ information management expert from our standby partner iMMAP. This was a first for the Pacific and a first for me to witness the transition and try and understand the early recovery and development sectors.
Elizabeth Hosking (Cook Islands), UNDAC Vanuatu Team
I worked to support the transition to working with the Logistics team at the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO), supporting the critical task of moving Non-Food Items (NFIs) from Airport Customs to the Mobile Storage Unit and out to the Clusters for distribution to affected communities. This role allowed me to collaborate closely with the local NDMO team and logistics volunteers, who had just completed a training course before the earthquake struck, demonstrating incredible resilience and adaptability.
UNDAC's swift deployment and collaboration with local authorities and partners played a vital role in ensuring an efficient and well-coordinated response. The mission not only strengthened operational logistics but also fostered invaluable partnerships, leaving a lasting impact on Vanuatu's disaster response capabilities.
James Mauai (Samoa), UNDAC Vanuatu Team
Our mission in Vanuatu was a truly rewarding experience, particularly in conducting critical assessments and providing environmental and surge support. Collaborating closely with the local government, we undertook detailed evaluations of environmental waste management, assessed biodiversity damage to flora and fauna—particularly in landslide-affected areas—and conducted infrastructure assessments to support recovery efforts. The collective effort of the UNDAC team showcased the importance of partnership and technical expertise, contributing significantly to informed decision-making and effective disaster response. It was an honor to support Vanuatu in its time of need and to witness the resilience of its people.
Gert Teder (Estonia), UNDAC Vanuatu Team
The response to the earthquake in Vanuatu was a very well-staffed team, with different expertise represented. All of these were put to use within two weeks of the earthquake and created an excellent opportunity to move into the recovery phase.
Cédric Ferrari (OCHA), UNDAC Vanuatu Team
Being part of the UNDAC mission to Vanuatu has being a remarkable experience. As admin and finance support for the UNDAC mission and thanks to the support of all actors involved, an OSOCC could be set up in a short time allowing UNDAC and OCHA team members to benefit from acceptable work condition and allowing team members to perform their specific duties.
Angus Lambkin (Ireland), UNDAC Vanuatu Team
As the sun set on New Year's Eve, the small UNDAC/OCHA collocated support at the prime minister's office and was privileged to be part of the Cabinet Secretary's end-of-year briefing to the Recovery Operations Centre team. Great pride was expressed in the leadership and of the Vanuatu Government and People in responding to the recent earthquake. Gratitude was communicated to the partners who had supported resilience, preparedness and response activities. The Cabinet Secretary teared up as she looked forward to 2025 and the challenges that it would likely bring. The outdoor office (tent) overlooked the heavily damaged and still closed central business district, and sat across the bay from the non-functioning commercial port. While the challenges in recovery were evident, the resolve to surmount them was clear.
OCHA & UNDAC teams with rapid UNCERF funding played a vital role in the response, source: https://x.com/unocha/status/1880182109714661854?s=46