With the start of the cyclone season in the Pacific – lasting from November to April – National Disaster Management Offices (NDMOs) across the region are focusing on preparedness and awareness-raising among governments, relevant stakeholders and communities. As global ETC lead, the World Food Programme (WFP) is actively working on ICT Preparedness activities in the Pacific region. 

The ETC Pacific focal point for preparedness activities, Salma Farouque, conducted a mission to Tonga to facilitate the first meeting of the country's own national Communications Cluster. The national cluster was formally established to improve coordination between the Department of Communications, National Emergency Management Office, and relevant stakeholders to identify priority areas relating to emergency communications in Tonga.

Salma is now on mission in Vanuatu where, following Cyclone Pam in 2015, the government has established a National Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (NETC), co-led by Digicel – the largest mobile network operator in Vanuatu. The focus of the mission is to work with the NDMO to review the status of the emergency communications equipment at their headquarters in the capital, Port Vila, and coordinate basic maintenance work.

For more information, visit: ETC Preparedness in the Pacific