Recovery efforts are underway in Vanuatu after a major cyclone ripped through the small island nation over the weekend. <br />Disaster management officials and emergency crews say they're struggling to address the sheer damage caused by the monster cyclone. <br />On Saturday, Cyclone Pam struck the capital city, flattening buildings and washing away roads with winds of up to 3-hundred kilometers per hour. <br />Speaking at a UN conference in Japan, the President of Vanuatu... Baldwin Lonsdale said the storm had wiped out years of recent infrastructure development. <br />He also stressed his country required immediate assistance. <br /><br /><br />"What is happening now is that as I have said over and over again, the people of the Republic of Vanuatu they need humanitarian assistance at the moment and I am very pleased with the international community that they have responded to my appeal which is going through to Vanuatu right now."<br /><br />Australia was one of the first countries to answer the call. <br />Sydney pledged nearly 4 million dollars in aid, while New Zealand and Britain also promised up to 3 million dollars worth of support.<br />Vanuatu lies northeast of Australia and has a population of some 260-thousand. <br /><br />And that wraps up our look at international stories for now. I'll see you back here tomorrow night.
