Vanuatu's earthquake won’t stop children learning

Port Vila, Vanuatu, 17 February 2025 – Two months on since the 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck Vanuatu, more than 12,000 children from affected schools are able to continue their learning during this new school year. The earthquake caused widespread damage to lives, homes, schools, and health care facilities.

UNICEF is supporting government efforts to ensure that all children have as smooth a transition as possible back into learning, providing temporary learning spaces and materials to help children readjust. It is vital that children regain a sense of normalcy and connection, to protect them from the harmful effects of prolonged stress.

According to the Vanuatu Ministry of Education and Training, 45 schools have been affected, with 107 classrooms sustaining varying levels of damage. 20 Early Childhood Care and Education centres were also affected. As a result, there are far too few safe classrooms for the numbers of children returning to school.

Children must be able to learn, despite these challenges, so UNICEF and partners have provided more than 50 safe temporary learning spaces for 5,839 girls and boys. Learning materials, School-in-a-Box and Early Childhood Development kits for 2,300 children and teachers have also been provided. These learning spaces will not only provide a conducive learning environment but also serve as entry points for other essential services for children’s recovery including mental health and psychosocial support.

Through the deployment of a child psychologist, teachers and other frontline workers are being trained to run psychosocial support activities with children. The activities are designed to help children express their feelings, and to help adults identify signs of distress, to provide counselling, and to make referrals to specialized mental health services where required.

UNICEF is also supporting access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene practices to provide school children and teachers with a safe and supportive environment for learning. This includes quick fixes; restoring water, sanitation, and hygiene services; and the provision of WASH in school kits, which include soap and portable handwashing stations, to the affected schools. This is complemented with hygiene education materials and training to strengthen the operation and maintenance of WASH infrastructure. 

“Every child deserves to have the opportunity to learn, especially with these challenges,” said UNICEF Pacific’s Chief of Vanuatu Field Office, Eric Durpaire. “We are working with teachers and communities to enable a safe return to school for all children, under the leadership of the Ministry.”

In the coming months, UNICEF’s recovery plan includes the rehabilitation of the classrooms that will allow children to shift from temporary learning spaces to semi-permanent or permanent structures. The plan must ensure the long-term maintenance and teacher and community resilience. 

UNICEF is working closely with the government, communities, and partners to integrate disaster-resilient designs as well as climate-adaptive measures into reconstruction efforts to reduce vulnerabilities. This includes support across essential aspects of a child’s optimal development – nutrition, health, safe water, learning opportunities and a safe and protected environment.

Emergency response and recovery after a disaster such as this cannot be achieved alone. UNICEF acknowledges the support provided by donors including the Government of Australia, the Government of the United Kingdom as well as the United Nation’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), while acknowledging the Government of Vanuatu in ensuring that children can pack their bags for a new school year.