by Donald Wood
Last updated: 1:29 PM ET, Mon March 16, 2015
Photo courtesy of Thinkstock
The island nation of Vanuatu was devastated when Cyclone Pam made landfall Friday and left a path of destruction, but two cruise lines that serve the area have already stepped in to lend a helping hand to those affected by the natural disaster.
Carnival Australia and Royal Caribbean Cruises have already made sizable donations to the aid efforts in the country, sending a combined $250,000 to the Australian Red Cross and the Save the Children Fund.
The two companies shared their good deeds on social media:
The assistance of both cruise lines will offer major help to an area that experienced 185 mile-per-hour winds that destroyed homes, boats and roadways. According to Intelliguide.com, there were at least eight confirmed deaths and 30 people injured, but numbers were expected to rise as the rescue teams made it to the smaller islands in the Vanuatu chain.
Port Vila's airport was partially reopened Sunday, allowing for more emergency aid to reach the victims on the ground, via Intelliguide.com.
The report from Intelliguide.com claims that witnesses in Port Vila, "described sea surges of up to eight meters (26 feet) and widespread flooding as the category 5 cyclone hit." The country is described as one of the poorest in the world and is prone to natural disasters.
For those unaware, Vanuatu is a group of 83 islands 1,250 miles northeast of Brisbane, Australia, that is home to 260,000 people. Aid officials on the ground are reporting the magnitude of the storm is comparable to Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. That storm killed 6,000 people in the Philippines.
If you would like to help by donating money to the efforts, the Australian Red Cross has set up an appeal page that can be used for donations.
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