Half Of Vanuatu People Including Over 50,000 Children Affected by Cyclone

At least half the population of Vanuatu including nearly 54,000 children was affected by cyclone Pam, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — At least half of population of the South Pacific's Republic of Vanuatu, including nearly 54,000 children, was affected by the huge tropical cyclone Pam, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said Saturday.

“It is estimated that at least half the population of Vanuatu has been affected by cyclone Pam. Of these, at least 54,000 are children,” the press release posted on the UNICEF website said.

The UN agency’s commentary came after the powerful cyclone hit islands in Vanuatu archipelago late Friday, causing damages to infrastructure and putting local residents’ lives at risk.

“Many homes in Vanuatu have likely been destroyed as they are built with natural and local materials… Power and water supply has been affected across Vanuatu, including in the capital city Port Vila,” the press release informed.

Cyclone Pam was classified as the category five hurricane since its average wind speed was about 168 miles per hour.

The storm caused at least eight deaths in Vanuatu, the country's National Disaster Management Office reported earlier on Saturday.

Vanuatu is a small Oceanian island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. Its population is about 267,000 people spread over 83 islands, as of July 2014 estimates.