The Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC) and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) have been working closely to enhance radio services for the humanitarian community in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI).

With 5.2 million people in need, 2.1 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and over 220,000 Syrian refugees, humanitarian operations across Iraq are extensive. Radio services are a critical aspect of this response; not only do they enable secure communications, they allow radio operators to track staff movement; both of which are vital in maintaining the safety and security of humanitarian staff.

The ETC is providing radio and internet services to humanitarian organizations in three key operational areas: Erbil, Dohuk and Sulaymaniyah.

Key to the ETC's success is UNAMI. "UNAMI is vital to the ETC's mission here," says Dragan Mocevic, ETC Coordinator in Iraq. "We can't do much without them, whether it's related to digital or analogue radio networks. They're hugely important in terms of acquiring digital radio frequencies from the authorities that we can then use to expand capacity." Frequencies obtained by UNAMI in November enabled the ETC to add four channels each to the digital radio networks in Dohuk and Sulaymaniyah. "It means we can get more people using the network in areas which host a number of IDP and refugee camps with a lot of humanitarian workers," says Dragan.

UNAMI also provided the ETC with repeater sites in both Dohuk and Sulaymaniyah that, according to Dragan, "are much better for coverage. At the moment, there are some areas which are not covered. But with the new sites, the ETC can cover the cities and the camps outside the cities." This improves coverage for both analogue and digital networks which benefits NGOs and UN agencies.

According to Do-Yeop Kim, Head of Operations for UNAMI Security and Safety in Iraq (SSI), the security implications of a robust radio network cannot be overstated. "We can improve coverage for the whole region, but in case of an emergency, our security teams will also have more capacity to communicate with humanitarian staff," says Kim. "We can even create a channel for secure communications and track staff using our geotagging system."

"The digital radio network has already improved so much," says Allan Canonizado, Chief of ICT at UNAMI. "About 80% of the plans for the network are now complete. Once the rest of the frequency licenses have been released it will be 100% complete."

The ETC will continue to add channels as frequencies become available and install or relocate repeaters to better sites. In addition, the ETC is providing advanced radio training to UNAMI security staff, drivers and radio operators, assessing radio rooms in all three operational areas and providing state-of-the-art hardware to radio rooms.

Powering the network is just as important as the network itself. In line with the UN's Greening the Blue initiative, the ETC is committed to renewable energy and is utilizing wind turbines and solar panels to power the repeaters.

The strong partnership between the ETC and UNAMI is a perfect example of how expertise can be shared to maximize operational effectiveness in emergencies. "The ETC really helped UNAMI understand the context in terms of the coverage requirements of NGOs and implementing partners. Their planning really added value," says Allan.

"It's a great partnership," says Dragan. "We wouldn't be able to do this by ourselves. Ultimately, it's the humanitarian community that benefits, and for those on the ground working in such a fast moving operation, a robust and professional radio network is fundamental to success."