REGIONAL PRESENTATION

1. REGIONAL PRESENTATION PACIFIC REGION OVERVIEW

4. GEOGRAPHY • Volcanic to small coral atolls • Span over the Pacific Ocean • Tropical weather pattern – Hot/Wet and Cool/Dry • Vegetation: Thick tropical forest to sand and coconut trees

5. POPULATION - Many still live in rural areas - Majority have moved/lived in urban areas - Community living still very strong esp in rural areas - Dependent on local produces/root crops and vegetables -

6. ECONOMY • Agriculture /Fisheries and Tourism are the region’s primary sources of revenues • Tourism is a growing industry in most islands • Remittance of fund from relatives overseas

7. NATIONAL AUTHORITIES • Majority if not all are under a Parliamentary System of Government • Northern Pacific – US type of Administration • Majority have established National Disaster Management Structure within their respective System • Some are still in early stages of development

8. HAZARDS • Volcanic Activities ( W. Pacific – Volcanic Islands) • Earthquakes ( W. Pacific-Volcanic Islands) • Tropical Cyclone/Typhoon • Flooding • Landslide • Flashflood • Tsunami • Droughts

9. CHALLENGES • Accessibility – Time consuming and difficult if travelling to outer islands • Communications – Majority of small islands lacks roads, airfields and are only accessible by sea • Power – Except for cities and towns, majority of the small islands lacks power • Language/Culture –English is common but need translators if travelling to rural areas and outer islands • Always carry Hard Cash – especially if deployed outside cities/towns

10. United Nations Disaster Assessment & Coordination UNDAC TYPHOON CHATA’AN Federated States of Micronesia 1 - 2 July 2002

11. Landslide Disaster, 2 July 2002 • Tropical Storm (later Typhoon) CHATA’AN struck Chuuk State on 1-2 July with intense rain following a prolonged wet spell • The rain flooded low-lying areas and caused 62 landslides, 5 of them huge, around noon on Tuesday 2 July 2002 • All the high volcanic islands of Chuuk Lagoon suffered from landslides, particularly Weno, Tonoas, Fefan, Udot, & Uman • The landslides killed 47 people (41 outright + 6 died later) • Over 100 were injured; 43 were hospitalised & 9 evacuated • Approx. 120-170 families (900-1300 people) lost their homes • A similar number abandoned their homes due to fear • The landslides occurred mainly on slopes used for gardens • Roads, power & water systems were damaged or destroyed

12. National Response • Chuuk State Governor declared a disaster and appealed for assistance on 3 July. He established a Task Force with the heads of all relevant departments to coordinate the operation • The President of FSM placed Chuuk under a state of emergency on 5 July, and released federal funding ($200,000) • FSM asked for US Government assistance under the ‘Compact of Free Association’ on 11 July. It was approved the same day • Chuuk State Task Force has accomplished the following: • public awareness of health & safety threats, & appeals for donations • provided locally-generated food, clothing, chlorine & medical supplies • despatched the state freighter (SS Micro Dawn) to the Mortlocks, & the patrol boat (FSS Micronesia) to the NW for assessment & relief delivery • Micronesia Red Cross has distributed food & non-food items

13. International Response • Ayuda Foundation (Guam NGO) despatched a surgical team • US Federal Government assistance includes the following: • minor engineering works by the Civic Action Team (already on Weno) • large quantities of bottled water, medications, food & non-food relief • evacuation to Hawaii military hospital of 9 most seriously injured • budgetary support to State for operational costs (logistics, etc.) • Australia will re-stock the Red Cross DP Container ($10,000) • Israel has provided $5,000 worth of medical supplies • Japan has delivered $87,000 worth of non-food items • OCHA has authorised a $20,000 grant for water supply • IFRC has released $20,000 from its disaster relief funds • Australian & New Zealand Red Cross Societies will reimburse (partially) • Health delegate from New Zealand Red Cross despatched to Chuuk

14. Chuuk Lagoon 0 km 10 km 20 km 30 km

15. UNDAC Mission • Team composition: • Charlie Higgins OCHA Regional Disaster Response Adviser, Pacific • Capt. Esala Teleni UNDAC Member, Republic of Fiji Military Forces • Dr. Jayaprakash UNICEF Project Manager, Chuuk State, FSM • Duration: • 7 - 19 July 2002: 12 days • Purpose: • To assess the situation & obtain clear information about urgent needs, to determine requirements for international relief • Significant results: • Evaluated the requirements for international relief to Chuuk State • Identified possibilities for emergency grants from OCHA & UNDP • Made linkages with other sources of external assistance, such as SOPAC • Provided input to OCHA situation reports on the disaster

16. METHODOLOGY • Meeting with State’s Representatives • Site Visits- Affected Areas, Hospital, Municipalities, Red Cross, UNICEF and US TEAM • Interviews • Liaison with other Local and International agencies • Attending meetings with State Disaster Committee • Meeting with the National Disaster Agency • Meeting with Donor Agencies in Ponphei (Capital)

17. “S - W - O - C” • Strengths: • Excellent teamwork within, & with UNICEF & Red Cross colleagues • The ability to have a critical view, & to express it with confidence • To arrive 4 days before FEMA, which then dominated the scene • Weaknesses: • Could have helped the State Govt more, if the team had arrived earlier • The difficulty of obtaining reliable information, to produce sitreps • Travel time, difficulties & costs, to go from the S to N Pacific • Opportunities: • To link from the start with Red Cross, & take an entirely joint approach • To get the State Govt to look at needs rather than casualties & damage • To feed our findings & suggested prioritisation into the FEMA response • Constraints: • The difficulty of communication between Chuuk Lagoon & the atolls • The State Task Force's inability to generate a single situation report • The difficulty of maintaining a link with the UN Coordinator in Suva

18. THANK YOU ??