Cyclone Pam Disaster: Vanuatu's True Survivor

Cyclones, earthquakes, landslides and year-long volcanic eruptions - Lik Simelum has seen and survived them all.

The 76-year-old lives in the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu - the most dangerous area in the world for natural disasters, according to the United Nations University.

He survived yet another tragedy this month when Cyclone Pam hit, killing 17 people and leaving 65,000 homeless.

His kitchen was destroyed and he saw his neighbours' homes flattened, but for him it was just one of many catastrophes to strike the archipelago.

In 1950, when he was 11 and living on the central island of Ambryn, Benbow volcano erupted for almost a year, killing crops, contaminating drinking water, and leaving the island in darkness.

Mr Simelum's family were relocated to Epi Island, where a cyclone struck weeks later.

The rains were so heavy they triggered landslides that killed his father and younger brother.

His mother survived by clinging to the rafters of their home, but was left with a broken back.

Mr Simelum and his mother were moved to a village on the main island of Efate, where he still lives today.

Then, in 1987, Cyclone Uma hit Vanuatu, followed by a magnitude-7.7 earthquake in 2009.

The quake triggered tsunami warnings and people in Mr Simelum's village were forced to leave everything behind and flee to higher ground.

Life was relatively peaceful for a few years until Cyclone Pam tore through Vanuatu in March, leaving thousands without food, water and shelter.

Mr Simelum still expects to see more disasters in his lifetime, warning: "I think now we have climate change, so it looks as though it won't be long, maybe another disaster like a hurricane, or an earthquake, or tsunami, (will) hit Vanuatu."