It’s been four months since a 7.3 magnitude earthquake shook Vanuatu’s main island just days before Christmas, displacing around 773 people from their homes and impacting around 80,000 people. 

Many families have since returned home, but due to structural damage and lack of essential services, the task of rebuilding is momentous. Overcrowding in temporary shelters has increased the risk of disease, and schools have been slow to reopen due to building damage. 

Mental Health Support Is Vital

The trauma of the earthquake has also had a significant psychological impact on communities. Many people, including children, urgently need mental health support. People have shown incredible resilience in the face of a crisis, but ongoing uncertainty has led to high levels of stress, poor sleep, anxiety, loss of appetite and intense fear amongst children.  

To respond to this need, our local Christian Partner is providing 1,000 people impacted by the earthquake with psychological support. 

With funding from supporters like you, our Partner is training mentors to provide mental health support that helps people heal from trauma and build their emotional resilience. Mentors will pass their knowledge on to pastors, church leaders and village chiefs across a wide number of communities.  

With funding from supporters like you, our Partner is training mentors to provide mental health support that helps people heal from trauma and build their emotional resilience.

Together, those trained will conduct home visits in communities that have been impacted by the earthquake, offering mental health support and pastoral care to vulnerable people—especially women and children. 

This is on top of existing work our Partners have done to provide families with critical supplies such as food, clean water, and hygiene and shelter kits. 

How You Can Pray 

We’re so thankful for the ways you’ve supported our efforts in Vanuatu and helped communities rebuild—from your generous donations to your faithful prayers. Please continue praying for: 

  • Healing and strength for families—pray that those impacted by the earthquake may find strength and hope as they rebuild their lives. May God provide safe and stable homes, and protection from disease for those still living in overcrowded shelters. 
  • Restoration of essential services—pray for the rebuilding of damaged infrastructure so that communities can have reliable access to food, water and electricity, and children can attend school without disruptions. 
  • Mental health and wellbeing—pray for the emotional and mental health of those affected, especially children who are experiencing trauma, anxiety, and fear. Pray that our Partners would be able to provide the support they need.
  • The church in Vanuatu—pray for churches, our Partner, pastors and mentors as they care for people impacted by the earthquake—that they would be strengthened and equipped to help those in need. 
  • Rebuilding after a disaster requires resilience on so many fronts—physical, social and emotional. We’re so thankful for your willingness to support our Partners as they enable recovery to happen, not only in Vanuatu, but wherever disaster strikes. 

If you would like to further support this work and ensure provisions and care is provided as quickly as possible when disaster strikes, you can give to our Disaster Action Fund here. Together we can help communities build back stronger.