King Charles has extended heartfelt prayers and thoughts to a small island nation in Oceania reeling from the impact of a massive 7.3 magnitude earthquake. Acknowledged via a touching missive on Royal Family social media platforms, he expressed his deep sorrow following the catastrophe that by December 17 had already claimed 14 lives with expectations of the toll rising, amid over 200 individuals suffering injuries.
His statement was especially resonant as it was issued in both English and Tok Pisin—a lingua franca spoken in parts of Vanuatu and representing a hybrid language primarily consisting of English words yet whose grammatical roots remain a topic of debate.
The King penned in his statement his and Queen Camilla’s distress upon learning about the scale of destruction in Vanuatu: “My wife and I have been deeply saddened to learn of the magnitude of the earthquake which struck Vanuatu on Tuesday and the loss of life and property which this devastating natural disaster has left in its wake.”
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Furthermore, he acknowledged the resilience of the ni-Vanuatu, citing his own experiences from a 2018 visit: “I am aware, from my visit to Vanuatu and Port Vila in 2018, of the extraordinary spirit of ni-Vanuatu, which has been called upon too often in recent years with repeated cyclones and, now, with this terrible earthquake.”
“At this most difficult of times, I wanted you and all the people of Vanuatu to know that you are remembered in our thoughts and prayers, and that we send you all our deepest sympathy and heartfelt wishes. Charles R.”
The initial natural disaster saw a 7.3 earthquake hit 31km from Port Vila, Vanuatu. However, that wasn’t the end of it as aftershocks and further tremors continued, with another 5.2 quake striking 32km from Port Vila the following day on December 18, reports the Mirror.
Just yesterday, on December 21, another significant tremor, this time measuring 6.1, was reported near the island among others. Rescue efforts are ongoing to locate those killed or trapped alive under the rubble and debris.
Not all casualties have been accounted for in hospital figures, according to aid agencies, with some victims not yet brought to medical facilities. Additionally, fear is keeping some residents away from the badly damaged Vila Central Hospital, which serves as the main treatment centre.
United Nations data indicates that nearly 1,000 individuals have been displaced by the quakes. Aid workers estimate around 20,000 people could be facing a water crisis, as reported by the Independent.
The shortage raises concerns about the consumption of contaminated water, potentially leading to illness.
UNICEF’s water, sanitation, and hygiene specialist in Vanuatu, Brecht Mommen, highlighted the urgency of the situation: “It’s a rush against time to get water trucks organized for those areas so that we prevent a second disaster, which is a diarrhea outbreak.”
He further stated that the location of the damaged pipes in the network servicing Port Vila remains unknown, and it is still uncertain how long it will take to locate and repair them all.