President’s tearful breakdown

Two more Australian military planes loaded with humanitarian supplies are on their way to Vanuatu.

Heartbroken ... Vanuatu president Baldwin Lonsdale has called for immediate help in the aftermath of Cyclone Pam. Picture: ABC News Source: Supplied

VANUATU'S president has broken down while describing the devastating impact of the "monster" cyclone which left half the population homeless and killed at least six people.

Baldwin Lonsdale held back tears as he appealed for "immediate help" after Cyclone Pam tore through the small Pacific island nation on the weekend.

More than 100,000 people are homeless and 90 per cent of the buildings in the capital Port Vila destroyed or damaged following the devastating storm.

Tearful breakdown ... Vanuatu president Baldwin Lonsdale is devastated about the cyclone's impact on his country. Picture: ABC Source: Supplied

"This is a very devastating cyclone in Vanuatu. I term it as a monster, a monster," Mr Lonsdale said from Sendai in north-eastern Japan, where he had been attending a disaster conference when the cyclone struck on Saturday.

"It's a setback for the government and for the people of Vanuatu. After all the development that has taken place, all this development has been wiped out."

Decimated ... 90 per cent of homes in Vanuatu's capital, Port Vilas, have been damaged or destroyed. Picture: AP Photo/Dave Hunt, Pool Source: AP

Aftermath ... aid agencies described conditions in cyclone-ravaged Vanuatu as among the most challenging they have ever faced. Picture: AFP/Fred Payet Source: AFP

Mr Lonsdale said that the latest information he has is that six people are confirmed dead and 30 injured from Cyclone Pam.

Medical workers say the risk of diseases including diarrhoea, measles, malaria and dengue fever is heightened, with expected shortages of safe drinking water and food.

Planning ... Vanuatu President Baldwin Lonsdale, left, and Minister for Climate Change James Bule discuss the impact of Cyclone Pam. Picture: AP Photo/Koji Ueda Source: AP

Mr Lonsdale also appealed for international aid for the place he calls "paradise", a tiny state of about 250,000 people spread over 65 inhabited islands.

He added that he couldn't even contact his own family because of the break in communications.

"We do not know if our families are safe or not. As the leader of the nation, my whole heart is for the people, the nation."

Mr Lonsdale and other top Vanuatu government officials were preparing to return home later on Monday from Sendai.

Destruction ... Samuel kicks a ball through the ruins of their family home as his father, Phillip, picks through the debris in Port Vila, Vanuatu. Picture: AP Photo/Dave Hunt Source: AP

Destroyed ... residents stand inside their damaged home on the outskirts of the capital Port Vila, Vanuatu. Picture: AP Photo/UNICEF Pacific Source: AP

Officials in Vanuatu had still not made contact with outlying islands and were struggling to determine the scale of devastation from the cyclone, which tore through early on Saturday, packing winds of 270 kilometres per hour.

The airport in Port Vila has reopened, allowing some aid and relief flights to reach the country. Lonsdale said a wide range of items were needed, from tarpaulins and water containers to medical supplies and construction tools.

Extreme cyclone ... Cyclone Pam hurtled through Vanuatu on Saturday. Picture: AP Photo/UNICEF Pacific, Humans of Vanuatu Source: AP

International SOS, a medical and security services company, says it has deployed an Incident Response Team to Vanuatu to assess evacuation options for expatriates and travellers.

"There are likely to be shortages of safe drinking water and food, and the risk of diseases including diarrhoea, measles, malaria and dengue fever is heightened," Michael Gardner, Australasia regional managing director, said.

Relief effort ... privates carry aid supplies to a French Army logistic transport plane bound for Vanuatu at the French Aerial Military Base in Papeete, Tahiti. Picture: AFP/Gregory Boissy Source: AFP

Aid ... relief equipment bound for Vanuatu is collected at the French Aerial Military Base in Papeete, Tahiti. Picture: AFP/Gregory Boissy Source: AFP

Hannington Alatoa, head of the Vanuatu Red Cross Society, said flyovers by New Zealand and Australian relief teams showed much of the country had been "flattened."

"No trees, no foliage, no iron structures standing on the western part of Tanna (island)," Alatoa said. "People are in great need of water."

Mr Lonsdale said climate change was contributing to disasters in Vanuatu.

"We see the level of sea rise. Change in weather patterns. This year we have heavy rain, more than every year," he said.

New Zealand radio journalist Frances Cook and her husband travelled to Vanuatu for their honeymoon two days before the cyclone struck. She said they knew a storm was coming but figured from the forecasts it wouldn't be too bad.

UNICEF estimates 70,000 children across Vanuatu have been affected by Cyclone Pam.

Instead of zip-lining through the jungle and looking at active volcanoes as planned, she has instead been reporting back home on the devastation. She said a lot of stranded tourists are desperate to leave and some are afraid for their security.

"It's a glorious place and the people are so lovely," she said. "It's quite upsetting to see this happen."

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