24 Feb 2011

Planes will fly to Vanuatu islands cut off by cyclone

2:26 pm on 24 February 2011

There's still been no contact with two islands in the southern part of Vanuatu, hit by Cyclone Atu two days ago.

Disaster Management officials have not been able to establish communications with Futuna and Aniwa in the southern Tafea province.

May Pascual from Vanuatu's UNICEF Office says at a meeting yesterday at the Disaster Management Office, it was agreed that rapid assessment teams should go there by plane.

"So tomorrow there might be two teams going and flying in really look at what is the effect on Futuna. People are worried because they are the nearest to the path of the cyclone but nobody is able to contact."

May Pascual says they are worried about fruit crops which were damaged in Cyclone Vania last month.