"We've seen villages that have just literally been blown away."

With these words, Chloe Morrison, World Vision's Vanuatu emergency response officer who sheltered in a colleague's cement house in Port Vila on Friday night, described the impact of the category five Cyclone Pam after it changed direction and made a direct hit on the archipelago.

Eight people are confirmed dead and dozens more are feared to have perished after Cyclone Pam's gale-force winds ripped through Vanuatu, cutting power and communications and leaving tens of thousands of people without shelter or basic necessities.

The UK announced on Saturday it would donate up to $A3.87 million towards relief efforts.

The funds will be made immediately available to UN organisations and international aid agencies already working in the region following a request from the Vanuatu government.

http://www.smh.com.au/world/cyclone-pam-dozens-feared-dead-in-vanuatu-20150314-143y5a.html