Transcript
PETER KORISA: People from most affected areas, it's quite difficult for them. They're trying to cope with the situation but again it's quite difficult. For people who live in much less affected areas, right now they're coping by themselves, we don't support them, they manage, you know they can survive. The people from the most affected areas it's quite difficult yes, it will take them several months and weeks for them to sort of get back to normal sort of living. Which won't be a hundred per cent but at least about fifty to sixty or seventy per cent recover.
JENNY MEYER: Some of those people must have health concerns with the volcanic ash and you know limited access to fresh crops, that kind of thing?
PK: Yes that's true. We have several hazards. Based on the current situation the most dangerous hazards, volcanic hazard is more to do with ashfall. And then we have gases mixed with the rain and that can cause acid rain. I think that's something that the health sector, they are doing some work on the island. They established several emergency operation centres in some main areas just to set up surveillance to monitor any outbreak diseases related to any volcanic activity. So they are doing some work. As it is at the moment health is still not really a major issue. Although there are minor infections like everyone's cough. But the most common right now, is more to do with food security in terms of ashfall.
JM: Is there anything else that you think is important for people to understand about the situation on Ambae now?
PK: Like we usually repeat the same message over and over again. We ususally tell the community that it is quite difficult for us to predict the activity of the volcano. So what we usually advise them is 'prevention is better than cure' and if they can find some ways where they can reduce the level of exposure to those volcanic ashes then it's much better. Otherwise if people remain on the island then they have a very high level of exposure to the volcanic ashes.
JM: Ok so the government really is suggesting that people evacuate if they're feeling like they're not coping there?
PK: Yeah right, yup.
JM: Do you know what proportion of the population of Ambae, I think there's about ten thousand people there, have you got any idea how many people are planning to leave?
PK: As it is we only have a rough number of people already moved, the voluntary movement, it's almost a thousand people have already moved out from the island. But people that we are planning to move them out from Ambae to the nearby islands like Maewo, we are still yet to confirm the number but we are looking at not quite a big number, it's just a thousand plus. If we are to move people like people in the evacuation centres right now, that's our priority one to move those people. Because they're already move out from their homes and they are in evacuation centres. So it's about a thousand plus or it's not really a big number.
JM: Ok so most people are opting to stay do you think?
PK: Yeah until we have clear data that will become clearer later this week or next week. Then we will be able to understand what number exactly will remain on the island and what number is willing to leave. But I think the way it is at the moment with our visitations several times to the island and consulting the communities, most people might want to remain on the island, so we are not really sure.