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Household and Building Damage Assessment - 2024 Vanuatu Earthquake
Household and Building Damage Assessment - 2024 Vanuatu Earthquake
March 31, 2025
On 17 December 2024, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck near Port Vila, Vanuatu, causing extensive destruction and triggering landslides that significantly impacted the country. The disaster affected approximately 80,000 people, resulting in casualties, injuries, and widespread displacement. Entire communities were disrupted, and infrastructure, particularly residential buildings, suffered considerable damage.
The objective of the HBDA was to provide critical data to guide targeted assistance for affected households, inform debris management efforts, support resilient construction training for local builders, and update housing guidelines. Building on previous rapid assessments by the Vanuatu Red Cross Society and Australian Disaster Assistance Response Teams (DART), the HBDA specifically focused on households identified as having sustained moderate to severe damage or were completely destroyed.
This report presents findings on building damage, housing vulnerability, water and sanitation, and debris management across seven area councils on the island of Efate. The analysis is based on data collected in Erakor, Eratap, Eton, Malorua, Mele, Pango, and Port Vila
