"We respect the sovereignty of the Vanuatu government and the Vanuatu people, and we'll see what happens there."

Vanuatu-based UNICEF water, sanitation and hygiene specialist Brecht Mommen warned illness would likely spread. The extent of damage to Port Vila's water infrastructure remains unclear, with repair timelines uncertain.

UNICEF water, sanitation and hygiene specialist based in Vanuatu, Brecht Mommen, warned illness will likely spread. 

The Solomon Islands and Vanuatu projects comprised the single largest commitments from Beijing.

An Australian Medical Assistance Team (AUSMAT) will assist health authorities in Vanuatu.

Prime Minister of Vanuatu Jotham Napat applauded the deal, formally called the Nakamal Agreement, as a “win-win situation.”

“I say to the people of Vanuatu, you are family and Australia is here to help.” New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters said 45 New Zealanders were registered as being in Vanuatu.

Marles said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had spoken to Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai.

“Air Vanuatu has been particularly affected by disruption of tourism activity due to cyclones," read the statement. Air Vanuatu said all flights scheduled for this week were cancelled, and from Sunday, flights were "under review."

Vanuatu is home to about 280,000 people and is prone to natural disasters, with a half-dozen active volcanoes as well as regular cyclones and earthquakes.

Australia has already been providing such assistance to Vanuatu. Foreign Minister Penny Wong previously said that it is up to Vanuatu to determine its level of cooperation with Australia and its priorities.

"The last week has been incredibly difficult for many families in Vanuatu.

“This applies to other countries that want a security arrangement with Vanuatu which [sic] that suits the interest of Vanuatu’s sovereignty.”

The U.N. agency said it will ship emergency supplies to Vanuatu from Fiji to support disaster relief.

This comes as the Vanuatu Meterology and Geo-Hazard Department raised the alert status of three of the country's five active volcanoes to level two or showing signs of major unrest.

Vanuatu has a population of almost 320,000 people spread across 13 principal islands and 70 other smaller islands. An aerial view of Erakor island and the coastline of Port Vila, Vanuatu, on Dec. 7, 2019.

On Aug. 18, Vanuatu President Nikenike Vurobaravu signed the notice to dissolve Parliament—the next elections were due in 2024.

Australia and Vanuatu have indicated closer security ties amid ongoing competition between democratic allies and Beijing in the South Pacific region.

On Aug. 18, Vanuatu President Nikenike Vurobaravu signed the notice to dissolve Parliament—the next elections were due in 2024.

The Vanuatu prime minister's deep ties to Beijing are no secret. Loughman was one of eight Pacific leaders to be visited by the Chinese Foreign Minister during his recent trip to the South Pacific.

On Aug. 5, Silas Bule, the acting minister of Foreign Affairs for the Vanuatu government, issued a statement saying: "The One China Policy is an important pillar of Vanuatu’s foreign policy, and the cornerstone of China-Vanuatu relationship and comprehensive

(Dan McGarry/AFP/Getty Images) Vanuatu has about 286,000 residents and most of the population lives along the coast of the eight largest islands.

A powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.2 struck near the Vanuatu islands in the South Pacific on Saturday, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre said. No tsunami warning was issued due to the depth of the quake, said the U.S.

An earthquake of magnitude 6.5 struck the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu on Tuesday, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said. The quake was at a depth of 40 km (24.85 miles), EMSC said.

An earthquake of magnitude 6.8 struck near the coast of Port-Olry, Vanuatu, triggering a tsunami warning for nearby areas, authorities said.

It comes as Australia's efforts to secure a similar agreement with Vanuatu were dealt a blow following interventions from Beijing.

Chinese officials arrived in Vanuatu shortly before the June 27 raid in which the six were detained, and helped identify the premises in the capital, Port Vila, from where they were suspected of running the scam, the Vanuatu Daily Post reported.

The Vuvale deal comes as reports suggest ongoing negotiations between Australia and Vanuatu over the long-delayed Nakamal Agreement, while Beijing grows ever closer to signing its own accord, the Namale Agreement, with Port Vila.

MELBOURNE, Australia—Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Jan. 14 he will visit Fiji and Vanuatu this week as part of a push to offset China's growing influence in the South Pacific.

Vanuatu is located on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," a region prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity.