Riya Mala 
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has reached out to his Vanuatu counterpart, Charlot Salwai, offering Fiji’s support following the 7.3 magnitude earthquake that struck Port Vila yesterday.
Rabuka expressed Fiji’s readiness to provide assistance during this challenging time, acknowledging the logistical hurdles posed by the disaster.
With the communication tower at Port Vila Airport currently out of operation, Rabuka says personnel and resources will need to be deployed via Santo-Pekoa Airport, located on Vanuatu’s largest island northwest of the capital.
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka
He says from there, teams will travel to affected areas, including Port Vila, using marine vessels.
“The deployment of the troops and the personnels will have to be staged either by Santos and then they be landed into the main island by marine resources by boat.”
Rabuka also highlighted Fiji’s collaboration with the Australian Government to strengthen the response effort, ensuring Vanuatu receives the necessary aid to recover from the earthquake’s devastation.
