UK Pledges £2m To Deadly Cyclone Pam Victims

The UK is giving up to £2m in aid to help the Pacific islands of Vanuatu where a devastating tropical cyclone is feared to have flattened entire communities.

Cyclone Pam is thought to have caused widespread destruction across the 65 inhabited Vanuatu islands, killing at least eight people, aid officials have said.

Unconfirmed reports say dozens more people are feared dead after the storm, which is one of the strongest ever recorded.

Communication systems in many of the outer islands remains down, meaning it could take some time before the full extent of the damage is known.

Britain's Department for International Development said "up to £1m" will be made immediately available to UN organisations and international aid agencies already working in the region following a request from the Vanuatu government.

An additional £1m will be made available through the UK's Rapid Response Facility, which provides emergency support.

The Category Five storm - the highest on the scale - struck the South Pacific archipelago with winds of up to 168mph, threatening more than 267,000 residents .

The storm blew roofs off houses, uprooted trees and downed power lines. Officials in the capital Port Vila say there is no power or running water.

Save the Children's Vanuatu country director, Tom Skirrow, added: "The scene here this morning is complete devastation."

Chloe Morrison, a World Vision emergency communications officer, said: "The damage is quite extensive in Port Vila but there are so many more vulnerable islands."

Vanuatu is about a quarter of the way from Australia to Hawaii. About 47,000 people live in the capital. Most of those left their homes for the safety of shelters.

Speaking in Japan, where he was at a conference on global risk, President of Vanuatu Baldwin Lonsdale choked up as he said: "I stand to appeal on the behalf of the government and people of Vanuatu to the global community to give a lending hand in responding these very current calamities that have struck us."

New Zealand, which is braced for Pam's arrival in the next 12 hours, donated a million NZ dollars.

Australia said it was preparing to send a crisis response team to Vanuatu if needed, while Save The Children launched an appeal for youngsters affected by the storm.

The cyclone had already destroyed some homes and caused damage to other Pacific islands including the Solomon Islands and Kiribati, 4,000km away from Vanuatu.

Although the UK does give regular aid to Vanuatu, according to the DfiD website, the country is a member of the Commonwealth.

International Development Secretary Justine Greening said: "All our thoughts are with the people of Vanuatu as they start to assess the full scale of this disaster.

"Our support will ensure relief agencies can provide temporary shelters; protect vulnerable people, especially women and children; and provide emergency supplies as the country responds to this emergency."