Ambae evacuation effort in full swing

An armada of ferries, trawlers and other boats is heading towards the Vanuatu island of Ambae, as the country prepares to evacuate about five percent of its population.

The government yesterday decided to evacuate the whole population of Ambae, as the island's volcano continues to erupt.

More than 7000 people are already crammed into coastal evacuation centres, as a thick layer of volcanic ash and acid rain blankets villages and crops.

The disaster coordinator on Ambae Manuel Ure said authorities were hoping to clear the whole island - more than 11,000 people - this weekend.

The evacuees will be scattered around the nearby islands of Santo, Pentecost, Malekula and Maewo, he said.

"A few people have already made personal arrangements to travel out from Ambae to their families in either Port Vila or Santo or the other islands, but the provincial arrangement, we are waiting [for] ships to come in and are hoping that we can evacuate most people probably during the weekend."

But Mr Ure said money and resources were really tight and he called on other provinces to assist more.

"We continue to supply them with basic food but at the moment we still have problem with food, shelter and water.

"The Vanuatu government been promising to give us some money and support us with funds and at the moment we received just 1 million vatu ($NZ12,800), but managing 8000 people that amount of money is not enough and we are still running out of shelter, food and water."

A leader in the Malbangbang area of southern Pentecost, Robinson Tema, said chiefs had made the decision to accept about 500 evacuees.

He said villagers were clearing out Nakamals and churches, readying for their arrival some time before Sunday.

"The area that I'm living in, they have lots of rivers. Maybe with food, we need help from the government to support us with food to feed the people who will be coming from Ambae."

Mr Tema said he did not know how long people would be staying.

Lavinia Mahit of Auckland has family on Ambae.

She said the situation was heartbreaking.

"I'm very concerned, I mean, what do you pack? What do you get? Where do you go?"

"And when you're being evacuated, how do you settle into another village on another island?"

In Port Vila, the country's council of ministers is currently meeting, and a decision on international assistance is likely to be made.