This week, hundreds of Australians have been reunited with their families after being evacuated from Vanuatu following a magnitude 7.3 earthquake.
The earthquake , caused massive damage to the city and surrounding areas, and sparked concerns of a potential health crisis.
Now, one Brisbane father has told SBS News his family is still in limbo, and he believes his son — who uses a wheelchair — is not being afforded .
Liam Lynch said his wife Virginie, daughter Rebecca and son Sean had been in Vanuatu visiting his mother-in-law when the first earthquake hit. Lynch and his wife have lived in Vanuatu in the past and experienced earthquakes before, but he said this week’s events were “on another level”.
“The place where my family are (staying) has been absolutely devastated, the place was destroyed,” he said.
“When it happened, my wife said she had never experienced (anything like it), they thought the roof was going to come down and my son was panicking because he needs his wheelchair.
“They have been really traumatised; there’s no water, no power, no communication, the place is a mess, and my wife’s mother is on oxygen so they needed power.”
Lynch said his 18-year-old daughter is on the autism spectrum and has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder. His 14-year-old son has cerebral palsy and spastic dysplasia, and has epilepsy and a cortical visual impairment.
He said he registered his family for support from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and evacuation soon as possible, but they have not yet been evacuated despite their complex needs.
Sean Sembel-Lynch, along with his sister and mother, has been stranded in Vanuatu since the earthquake. Source: Supplied / Liam Lynch
At the time of writing, 424 Australians have arrived home on six flights via Australian Defence Force flights, according to DFAT. The planes that carried them have delivered humanitarian supplies to Vanuatu for 500 households.
Lynch said communication and updates from DFAT had been slow and “very intermittent”. He said he has contacted DFAT numerous times and spent hours every day trying to organise his family’s evacuation.
He said on Thursday, his wife was told by workers in the capital Port Vila that the military transports leaving that night would not be the best option for a wheelchair user, and advised the family to wait until the following day.
But on Friday, they were not offered a flight and were not able to find out any further information.
“My boy has been traumatised, he is terrified — a door creaks, he’s jumping out of his skin, he’s not sleeping,” he said.
“They still have no power, no water, conditions aren’t great … they were living off whatever canned foods and dry foods they could salvage. It’s very, very difficult.”
Lynch said he felt his family was being “given a runaround” and that his vulnerable children with disabilities were “being left behind”.
“Australians are being taken out of Port Vila, but for some reason, my children — one of them particularly vulnerable — is not being taken out, and I want to know why,” he said.
Hundreds of Australians have arrived back home after being airlifted out of earthquake-stricken Vanuatu by Royal Australian Air Force planes. Source: AAP / Supplied by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade / PR Image
“My son has rights like every other Australian, and he has the right to be afforded the same opportunities.
“And the Australian government has an obligation to him to make reasonable and necessary adjustments to provide him with the same access to support to get him to safety.”
At the time of writing, Lynch’s wife and children remain in Vanuatu and have not yet received any more details about evacuation flights.
A DFAT spokesperson told SBS News consular assistance is being provided to all Australians, permanent residents and their immediate family members located in Vanuatu where needed.
The spokesperson said the Australian High Commission has been engaging Australians on the ground in Vanuatu to provide information and updates, and to coordinate the allocation of available seats on ADF flights.
“Two further flights are scheduled for today,” the spokesperson said on Saturday
“These aircraft are configured primarily for humanitarian delivery and are not appropriate to carry certain vulnerable, injured or elderly passengers.
“Allocation of seating on ADF flights has also taken into account the ability of individuals to board and exit the ADF aircraft.”
The Port Vila International airport is expected to reopen for commercial airlines on Sunday, 22 December.
SBS News understands DFAT is working with Qantas, Virgin and Jetstar to prioritise passengers in need.
Australians requiring consular assistance are advised to . For urgent consular assistance, call +61 2 6261 3305 overseas or 1300 555 135 within Australia.
With reporting by the Australian Associated Press.
