VANUATU: 12,610 Children Face Disrupted Start To School Year One Month On From Devastating Earthquakes

PORT VILA, 17 JANUARY 2025: At least 12,500 children in Vanuatu may be forced to start the new school year in temporary learning centres following last month's devastating earthquakes that destroyed or damaged at least 100 classrooms across the country.

At least 80,000 people have been impacted by the magnitude 7.3 earthquake that struck on December 17, 2024, according to the latest figures from the Vanuatu Government. More than 200 people were injured, with 14 confirmed deaths, including two children.

Aileen, 18-years-old, was with her younger sister when the earthquake struck.

"I wanted to go outside but the shock was too strong, I tried to run outside, but I could not. So, I just sat on the floor and remained still," she said.

Aileen is one of 12,610 students in Vanuatu who face an uncertain start to the new school year due to the damage left behind by the earthquake. Aileen, who is supposed to start her final year of high school, said she’s unsure whether her school will be ready for students to return.

The ongoing cyclone season and powerful aftershocks have made recovery efforts more difficult, with key infrastructure severely impacted by the earthquakes, including bridges, hospitals and schools. Vanuatu’s school year is set to begin on February 3, however, according to the Vanuatu Government, over 107 classrooms in at least 45 schools have been either partially or completely damaged or destroyed.

"I feel the future in Vanuatu will be harder because at the moment the schools have been damaged by the earthquake. But in the current situation... I don’t know where we, students, will get our education," said Aileen.

One month on from the disaster children and young people like Aileen are still reeling from the impacts of the earthquake. Children across impacted areas have told Save the Children that they are scared to enter buildings and are increasingly anxious and worried about their futures in the aftermath of the disaster.

Aileen’s grandfather, Gilbert, says he is concerned about his granddaughter returning to school as many classrooms across Efate sustained significant damage. "How are they going to go back in schools made of big concrete buildings. I am really worried," he said.

"She showed me these pictures she found. It is definitely unsafe for our children to go back to school."

The Vanuatu Government has outlined plans to get children back into permanent classrooms and learning but the government has also warned that it could take up to three to four years to completely rebuild the classrooms that have been destroyed or damaged. In the meantime, Save the Children is working with the Vanuatu Government and other partners to address the immediate educational needs of children by supporting the setup of temporary classrooms and assisting in reconstructing permanent schools using disaster-resilient designs. Additionally, Save the Children will be extending psychosocial support to children within their schools and communities. Research confirms that without early intervention, children experiencing trauma after a disaster may suffer negative effects that impact educational and functional outcomes later in life.

Save the Children Vanuatu Country Director, Polly Banks says disasters often have the power to suddenly turn children’s lives upside down, especially if they’ve lost loved ones, have their education interrupted or have been forced to flee their homes.

"In the aftermath of any disaster, it is critical for children recovering that they are able to return to their normal routines as soon as possible, and for most kids this would include returning to school, where they can reconnect with friends and share their experiences," Ms Banks said.

"In Vanuatu, just on the island of Efate alone this is complicated by the fact that at least 45 schools have been damaged or destroyed, leading to uncertainty among children heading into the new school year beginning early next month.

"Save the Children is working with the Vanuatu Government, as well as other partners and donors, to ensure that children who aren’t able to return to their ordinary classroom still have a place they can go to learn and feel safe, such as child friendly spaces."

Ms Banks says while communities across Vanuatu are extremely resilient and have become well accustomed to responding to disasters, they are also tired of having to constantly rebuild their homes, their schools and their livelihoods.

"We know as Vanuatu continues on its long road to recovery, we need to ensure that global partners support the country’s need to build back stronger, including building more resilient schools and homes, in the face of increasingly frequent and devastating disasters," she said.

About Save the Children NZ:

Save the Children works in 120 countries across the world. The organisation responds to emergencies and works with children and their communities to ensure they survive, learn and are protected.

Save the Children NZ currently supports international programmes in Fiji, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Laos, Nepal, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Areas of work include child protection, education and literacy, disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation, and alleviating child poverty.

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