TC Harold: Sawmill for Vanuatu Rebuild

Severe Tropical Cyclone Harold was an active and powerful Category 5 cyclone that hit the northern islands of Vanuatu over 05 – 07 April 2020. TC Harold is the strongest cyclone to affect Vanuatu since TC Pam in 2015. Damaging hurricane force winds with heavy rainfalls and flash flooding caused extensive damage to the Sanma, Torba, Penama, and Malampa provinces. Early reconnaissance images paint a drastic and devastating picture! Reports are yet to come in about damage, injury, food, water and shelter.

Bringing Hope of Rebuild

But there is hope! Communities in Vanuatu were similarly devastated by Cyclone Pam in March 2015 and Fruit of the Pacific deployed a Lucas sawmill to support the rebuild and recovery work ahead. This sawmill was utilized by communities to mill timber fallen by the cyclone. New kindy’s, school rooms, staff quarters, playgrounds, market houses, bunks, desks, aid posts, churches and pastors homes were built all over Tanna thanks to the efforts of Joe Iautu, the Operations Manager and his sawmill team.

For the last 5 years a committee of Ni Vans have been utilising the mill to service communities around the island of Tanna, offering a highly cost effective and accessible service to support their rebuild and community development needs.

Joe Iautu and his operations team are on stand by to be deployed to the northern islands of Vanuatu to aid the rebuild efforts. We will be working closely with the Vanuatu National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) to ensure the team are deployed and aid delivered where most needed. We are seeking funding to enable the sawmill to operate in these communities and bring them the hope of rebuild.