A heavily-laden ship arrives in Port Vila harbour, Vanuatu. Owned by the Anglican Church of Melanesia, the ‘Southern Cross’ is brimming with food and supplies for people in Port Vila whose lives have been affected by the earthquake.

On 17th December 2024, just a week before Christmas, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck Port Vila, killing 14 people, destroying houses and infrastructure, and displacing thousands of people.

In the wake of the disaster, the Anglican Church of Melanesia responded swiftly. Mobilising its wide network of volunteers, the Church sailed the Southern Cross across Vanuatu to collect donations, loading up at Santo and other islands, and distributing the supplies around Port Vila.

These vital provisions – mainly food and water – reached 2,649 people, including people in two evacuation centres and 71 inmates at the Port Vila correctional centre.

People received rice as well as locally sourced food: coconuts, fruit and vegetables. Indeed, one of the challenges reported by ACOM was some bananas going brown before distribution!

Volunteers worked tirelessly throughout the Christmas period to get supplies to those in need, selflessly giving up time that would normally have been spent with loved ones.

ACOM also coordinated closely with Vanuatu’s National Disaster Management Office to ensure all affected communities were reached.

ABM AID contributed funding towards both the purchase of essential supplies and the cost of transporting it to people in need.

We would like to thank ABM AID supporters who gave generously to the Vanuatu Earthquake Emergency Appeal, as well as to the many volunteers in Vanuatu who worked tirelessly during their Christmas break.