A boy plays over the ruins of his home today in Vanuatu after the island nation was hit by a cyclone. The nation's president said 90 percent of the buildings were damaged.

SENDAI, Japan — The Pacific island nation of Vanuatu has lost years of development progress and must “start anew” following a powerful cyclone that destroyed or damaged 90 percent of the buildings in the capital of Port Vila, the country’s president said today.

Baldwin Lonsdale, visibly weary and red eyed from lack of sleep, said in an interview with The Associated Press that he and other top government officials were preparing to return home later Monday from Sendai, in northeastern Japan, where they were attending a disaster conference.

Australia, which along with New Zealand and France is providing rescue and relief help, offered transport from Sydney to Port Vila, his staff said.

Lonsdale said that the limited information he was able to get from home showed six people confirmed dead, and 30 injured and hospitalized on Port Vila after the category 5 typhoon smashed across Vanuatu.

He said information from other islands was not available because most communication links were still not working. But the airport in Port Vila has reopened, allowing aid and relief flights to reach the country. Port Vila is on the country’s main island of Efate.

“This is a very devastating cyclone in Vanuatu. I term it as a monster, a monster. It’s a setback for the government and for the people of Vanuatu. After all the development that has taken place, all this development has been wiped out.” He appealed for humanitarian aid for the homeland he called “paradise on Earth.”

“Tarpaulins, water containers, medical needs, gathering tools, construction tools, all these are very important right now,” Lonsdale said.

Aerial surveillance showed some communities flattened, the head of the Vanuatu Red Cross Society said. Lonsdale said 1,000 people in Port Vila alone have been evacuated.