Vanuatu has reimposed a state of emergency and ordered compulsory evacuations as thick volcanic eruptions blanket the island. The threat level of Manaro volcano on Ambae Island was raised from two to three on Saturday by the country’s Meteorological and Geo-Hazards Department. Foreign Minister Ralph Regenvanu on Friday tweeted: “On the eve of the 38th anniversary of independence, the cabinet has reimposed the state of emergency and ordered the compulsory evacuation of the entire population of
Ambae.” Numerous villagers have already been evacuated, with Vanuatu’s Red Cross reporting several villages have become uninhabitable. The NGO is providing humanitarian assistance. “We tried to travel to the south today but we have to turn back, because trees are falling, visibility is very very poor, we cannot see far more than two meters,” said Vanuatu Red Cross Disaster Management Coordinator Augustin Garae on social media. READ MORE
