Bay volunteers are joining others from across the globe in providing aid to Vanuatu.

The island nation is still cleaning up after being devastated by category five Cyclone Pam on March 13.

Aid is being given to Vanuatu after the island was devastated by Cyclone Pam.

Around 10 volunteers from the Bay of Plenty will travel to Port Vila on April 12 to help with the rebuild as part of New Zealand Vanuatu Rebuild – a non-government organisation aimed at helping people with disabilities participate in the community as much as possible.

The New Zealand Defence Force is also continuing to provide aid.

Some 14 NZDF personnel and three New Zealand Fire Service staff landed at Rovo Bay on Epi Island yesterday to start repairs at the Vailame Medical Centre.

Work is also scheduled at the local school in the hope that the buildings can be ready for classes.

The tasks have been prioritised in consultation with Vanuatu Government representatives, who are on site with the aid teams.

The Commanding Officer of HMNZS Canterbury, Commander Simon Rooke, says it is very satisfying to be getting the much-needed aid to Epi and the outlying islands.

'Everyone is really happy that we are here and are moving stores and personnel ashore,” says Simon.

'A landing craft has taken 15 tonnes of Red Cross stores to a neighbouring island, then took the NZDF engineering teams ashore, and the helicopter was also busy moving people to where they needed to be.

'The beauty of this ship is that we have a platform that can put a very capable force to work, but we don't put any additional demands on the island.

'Having combined reconnaissance teams of NZDF, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Vanuatu Government personnel going ahead of us sets up access for us, allowing us to prioritise work and decide what to put where and when.

'It has been a really well co-ordinated activity. Everyone here has the same sense of purpose and vision, and we are all determined to provide maximum effect to improve the situation of the people on these islands as soon as possible.

'We are all focused on the same thing so that makes it really easy to work together.”