22 May 2018

Vanuatu NDMO predicts low evacuation numbers from Ambae

From , 3:03 pm on 22 May 2018

Vanuatu's National Disaster office says only about 10 percent of the population is expected to take up the government's offer of help to evacuate from the volcanic island of Ambae.

The island's volcano has been erupting since last September but increased its activity in April with ash fall ruining crops and volcanic gases contributing to acid rain contaminating water supplies.

The Operations Manager of the NDMO, Peter Korisa has recently returned from Ambae and told Jenny Meyer about a thousand people of the island's 10,000 inhabitants have already left of their own accord and he predicts another 1000 will leave on government sponsored vessels next month.

The Ambae volcano

Photo: Supplied/ Brad Scott