UK aid arrives in cyclone hit Vanuatu

UK Aid arrives at Bauerfield International Airport in Vanuatu after the region was battered by Cyclone Pam Credit: Sgt Neil Bryden RAF/MoD Crown Copyright/PA Wire

Aid from the UK was delivered to cyclone-struck Vanuatu today after winds of up to 155mph and heavy rainfall caused widespread destruction.

An RAF plane carrying 1,640 shelter kits and more than 1,900 solaer lanterns with phone chargers landed at around 3am UK time after the government pledge £2 million towards UN humanitarian aid efforts.

The supplies will help protect some of the most vulnerable people affected by the cyclone, especially women and children, the Department for International Development (DfID) said.

The C-17 transport plane flew out from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on Monday bound for the Royal Australian Air Force base at Amberley, Australia, before linking up with international agencies.

The government has announced a £2 million donation towards UN humanitarian aid efforts Credit: Sgt Neil Bryden RAF/MoD Crown Copyright/PA Wire

Two British humanitarian experts are also based in Vanuatu to ensure the emergency supplies reach people affected and to assess what further assistance Britain can provide, the DfID said.

The scene from the air near Bauerfield International Airport in Vanuatu Credit: Sgt Neil Bryden RAF/MoD Crown Copyright/PA Wire

Vanuatu's president Baldwin Lonsdale estimated the cyclone had destroyed or damaged 90 per cent of buildings in the capital Port Vila.