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Vanuatu government has allocated $US2 million to evacuate people living in the danger zone of Monaro volcano on Ambae Island.
One of the major challenges faced by authorities is managing the evacuees and their water and food supply.
More than 7000 residents have been relocated from the danger zones to safe zones on the east and west sides of the island.
Vanuatu Red Cross Disaster Risk Reduction coordinator, Agustine Karae, says over 50 evacuation centres have been opened in the two areas.
“Schools and community centres have been opened up as evacuation centres on the island of Ambae. There are 30 centres on the east of the island alone,” he said.
He also said shelter, food, and water needs are government’s top priority and getting more resources is on the list.
Karae says water supply is an issue for the island.
“Water shortage on Ambae Island is an issue right now as Ambae is dry,” he said.
Vanuatu Red Cross took to social media to inform the public that 250 jerrycans were being transported by RVS Tokoro to Ambae Island.
Red Cross will also be carrying out water assessments on the island today and will provide an update on the outcomes.
Red Cross Organizational Development Coordinator, Dickinson Tevi confirms nearly 4000 people have been evacuated from the west of Ambae Island and 3000 from the east of the island.
Tevi says the government has provided boats which are being used to evacuate the people.
He told Loop Vanuatu that people from Port Vila and other safer parts of Ambae Island have come forward to help the people in need by providing food and water.
Karae warned the public to take necessary precautions and to evacuate if they are in the danger zone of the volcano.
He also warned the people to use clean water and maintain hygiene while preparing food as belching ash from the volcano can contaminate food and water.
The volcano on the Ambae Island recently showed increased activity and it increased to alert level 4 on Saturday which indicates a moderate eruption state.
At this alert level, volcanic activity is likely to continue to increase or decrease to its normal level of unrest at any time.
Karae said the people in the dense danger zone need to move and authorities will continue to look at short term and long term planning.
Further west, residents on the country's largest island, Santo, said crops risk being ruined by falling ash if the wind direction does not change.
Photo by Vanuatu Red Cross. Caption: Jerrycans being filled with water for shipment to Ambae Island