MOSCOW. Apr 1 (Interfax) - Two planes of the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry have brought humanitarian aid to Vanuatu, the ministry press service said.
"Two humanitarian planes, Ilyushin Il-76, of the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry touched down at the airport of Port Vila, the Republic of Vanuatu, at 9:10 a.m. Moscow time today," a ministry spokesman reported.
Over 60 tonnes of humanitarian supplies - food, including sugar and canned milk, meat and fish, mobile power generators, tents, blankets and other essentials - were airlifted to Vanuatu.
Humanitarian assistance was rendered on the orders from the Russian government. "The humanitarian operation can help the people of the Republic of Vanuatu stricken by a devastating tropical cyclone," the source noted.
Cyclone Pam destroyed or damaged about 15,000 homes of 75,000 people.
The Vanuatu government said that up to 90% homes and other buildings were damaged and nearly the entire harvest was destroyed in the end of last week.
Vanuatu is a small-sized Pacific state located on 83 islands of the New Hebrides southeast of Australia. Sixty-five islands are inhabited. The UN estimates the Vanuatu population at 720,000 persons.