Two of Vanuatu's three MPs from Ambae have called on the government to declare disaster zones around their island's volcanic activity.
Damage to vegetation from heavy ashfall during continued eruptions of Vanuatu's Ambae volcano, March 2018 Photo: RNZ Pacific
The call came after the government had sent an official assessment team to Ambae to report on the damage that had been caused by the constant ashfall from Manaro Volcano.
The south and west of Ambae have been particularly affected by the volcanic ashfall.
MPs Alickson Vira and Jay Ngwele said it has threatened the survival of 3,000 people in the south and 6,000 people in the west of the island, as well as their animals.
Food gardens have already been destroyed and homes have collapsed due to the weight of ash on roofs, while animals are affected as green grass on which they feed is all covered with ash.
