Vanuatu remains as the highest ranked country on the UN Global Disaster Risk Index. In 2023, three consecutive Category 5 cyclones struck Vanuatu in a space of eight months, destroying community livelihoods, threatening recovery efforts and exhausting the government's ability to respond and recover. Respond Global's health and humanitarian ship, MV HELPR-1 was able to respond immediately following each cyclone, enabling provincial response teams and relief supplies to reach affected communities in remote areas. The experience and evidence from this response highlights the fundamental need to support local leadership and local response as the best response in any disaster while at the same time, strengthening partnerships that can build resilient communities and ensure sustainable outcomes after major disaster.