The Pacific is one of the world's most disaster-prone regions, with Pacific Island Countries (PIC) ranked among the most vulnerable in the world to natural disasters, due to rising sea levels and increasing severe weather patterns, caused by the effects of climate change. Of the 20 states with the highest average disaster losses scaled by GDP, eight are Pacific Island Countries.

In September 2015, the World Food Programme (WFP) opened a Pacific Regional Office in Suva, Fiji, focusing on emergency preparedness in three key sectors: Emergency Telecommunications, Logistics, and Food Security. To fulfill its obligations as lead and co-lead cluster agency in these sectors, WFP is defining a strategy and work plan to address the needs in each sector. Currently, WFP’s programme of work focuses on five countries – Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Tonga.

WFP is hosting the first Regional Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC) Workshop for the Pacific in Samoa in July 2016 to bring together stakeholders from its five focus countries for discussions aimed at strengthening emergency telecommunications capacity in a number of areas. 

The following emergency telecommunications themes have been identified as key areas to be strengthened:

1. Coordination
2. National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) emergency telecommunication systems
3. Prepositioned telecommunications equipment
4. Training
5. Technical advisory and solutions
6. Private sector engagement
7. National emergency telecommunications clusters. 

The primary objective and expected outcomes from the workshop are to:

• Consult with stakeholders on the ETC strategy and work plan
• Endorse the ETC work plan.

For more information on the workshop, please contact:

• Salma Farouque, ICT Emergency Preparedness, World Food Programme (UNWFP) Pacific Office - Suva, salma.farouque@wfp.org