25 Jan 2019

Malampa plans long term options for volcano evacuees

4:23 pm on 25 January 2019

The Malampa Provincial Government in Vanuatu says it is working on long term plans to help volcano victims if their situation becomes worse in the future.

The Ambrym volcano

The Ambrym volcano Photo: WikiCommons

Hundreds of people from four villages in South East Ambrym have been relocated to safe zones on Ambrym after eruptions of the island's twin volcanoes destroyed homes.

Vanuatu's Geohazards Department said the island's two volcanoes Mount Marum and Mount Benbow were at alert level 3 indicating a minor eruption state.

Malampa's Provincial Secretary General, Neil Netaf, said his team was working with chiefs and landowners on neighbouring Malekula to identify safe zones to become evacuation centres.

Mr Netaf said while Malampa Province appreciated offers from other provinces to accept volcanic victims of Ambrym, at this stage they have an abundance of land to assess for evacuation purposes.

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