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Pacific News Minute: Deadly Vanuatu earthquake moves students to temporary learning centers

Australian Disaster Assistance Response Team members work with local authorities to undertake search and rescue operations in Port Vila. ( Dec. 17, 2024)
Queensland Fire Department
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Australian Government - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Australian Disaster Assistance Response Team members work with local authorities to undertake search and rescue operations in Port Vila. ( Dec. 17, 2024)

More than 12,000 children in Vanuatu may be forced to start the new school year in temporary learning centers due to last month's devastating earthquake.

A 7.3-magnitude quake struck Vanuatu's capital of Port Vila, killing 14 people, including two children. It injured more than 200 others and displaced thousands more.

A government report revealed that the earthquake that hit the city on Dec. 17 impacted more than 80,000 people. The report also said that at least 100 school classrooms were destroyed.

In Vanuatu, the academic year starts in February and ends in December. Save The Children says the cyclone season, which ends in April, and the powerful aftershocks have made recovery efforts more difficult.

A spokesperson says the earthquake also damaged key infrastructure, including roads, bridges and hospitals.

The Vanuatu government has outlined plans to return the children to permanent classrooms and learning. However, it warns that it could take up to four years to rebuild the classrooms that have been destroyed or damaged completely.

Scientific research says that without early intervention, some children who experience trauma after a disaster may suffer negative effects that can impact their educational and functional outcomes later in life.

Derrick Malama is the local anchor of Morning Edition.
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