Key Takeaways
- India provided USD 500,000 in relief assistance to Vanuatu after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake.
- The earthquake caused major destruction and loss of life in Vanuatu.
- India is committed to Disaster Risk Reduction and Management and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief in the region.
New Delhi: India has extended relief assistance of USD 500,000 to Vanuatu to support relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts following a 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck the South Pacific Ocean nation on December 17, causing major destruction and loss of life.
India also extended its deep condolences to the Government and the people of Vanuatu for the damage and destruction caused by this unprecedented disaster and conveyed its readiness to extend all possible support and assistance in this time of difficulty, a statement said.
India provided the aid as a close friend and partner under the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) and as a gesture of solidarity with the friendly people of Vanuatu.
India has stood by Vanuatu during difficult times. Disaster Risk Reduction and Management is a key part of India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans’ Initiative, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2019. India is committed to Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief in the region.
Vanuatu, a country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, consists of a chain of 13 principal and many smaller islands located about 800 km west of Fiji and 1,770 km east of Australia.
