untitled

Pacific Humanitarian Team

Information Management in Disaster

Response 2008-09

Solomon Islands Floods (Feb 09)

Friday 30 Jan – First reports (day 1)

Day 4 (Mon): more detailed collated info shared
to PHT from NDC and other sitreps

Day 5 (Tue): arrival OCHA IMO, followed by staff
on day 7 and 11.

Day 19 (Mon): OCHA end of mission (14 days)

Support activities Solomon Islands

Support establishing EOC
Support for processing assessment and other info: i) affected
areas, ii) affected populations, iii) needs, iv) relief distributions,
v) logistics, vi) contacts (3W), vii) stockpiles, viii) coordination
meetings
Produce SitReps and support the writing of SitReps by the
NDMO (merged)
Support the local cluster coordination system (Health, WASH,
general), including facilitating meeting and establishing regular
reporting from clusters;
Supported seconded staff from National Statistics Office and
Ministry of Lands to NDMO support on data management,
assessments, GIS and mapping
Support the production of an overview of needs for presentation
to in-country donors to seek funding for flood response.

Lessons Learned Solomon Islands

Plan for early deployment despite lack of information
Support to information collection and analysis provides much added
value:

Baseline info
Maps
Assessment teams are out quick! Need to catch up with
the process and support it
Common use of sat imagery / fly over

Cluster coordination support by NDC and OCHA in initial stages

Briefing & awareness of local stakeholders (govt. & non-
govt.) managing the disaster
Secretarial support to clusters
Need to formalize? Nationally, regionally?

Support for coordinated funding/appeal to local donors

Fiji Floods (Jan 09)

Friday 9 Jan – First reports (day 1)
Day 2-4: continuous rain and flooding, contact with
NDMO, first sitreps to PHT
Day 4: 1

PHT meeting scheduled, postponed to day 5

Day 6: Rapid field visit UNICEF/OCHA
Day 6: MFA meeting with international community
Day 7: PHT meeting to specify assistance (relief items,
technical and $)
Day 7-12: multi-sector rapid assessment (UNICEF,
UNFPA, OCHA)
Further sitreps & coordination meetings

Support activities Fiji

Support for multi-sector assessment

Produce SitReps

Support the local cluster coordination system
(Health, WASH, ER, Education, general)

Support the production of an overview of
needs and funding requirements appeal for
presentation to in-country donors to seek
funding for flood response needs.

Lessons Learned Fiji

Slow onset: Need to clarify request for international assistance
Establish information needs and potential (re)sources and
collaboration early

Assessment process (Govt. and Red Cross)
Mapping
Catch up!

Activate International Charter early!
Use baseline data, GIS to cover info gaps
Early establishment of coordination mechanisms with government
and international partners
Inventorize available human resources and plan early for additional
resources (UNDAC)
Cluster coordination support by NDMO and OCHA in initial stages

Briefing & awareness of local stakeholders managing the
disaster
Secretarial support to clusters
Need to formalize? Nationally, regionally?

Support for coordinate funding/appeal to local donors – formalize?

Samoa Tsunami (Sept 09)

Tuesday 29 Sept – EQ and Tsunami (day 1):

PHT coordination meeting
Samoa NDC meeting with UNRC
Request for international assistance
UNDAC activation
Int. Charter activated
Sitrep
Baseline info shared

Day 2: Arrival UNDAC team, sitrep
Day 3: IASC PHT meeting, Clusters activated, rapid field
visit
Daily coordination and cluster meetings, continued
sitreps, website

Support activities Samoa

Close collaboration clusters (incl. govt), UNDAC, EOC,
SOPAC, SPREP, FRANZ on collection and collation of
assessment and other info: i) affected areas, ii) affected
populations, iii) needs, iv) relief distributions, v)
logistics, vi) contacts (3W), vii) stockpiles, viii)
coordination meetings, ix) minutes, x) maps/photos,
etc.
Produce SitReps
Support the cluster coordination system
Public website on PDN
CivMil coord, logistics support
Overview of outstanding needs to support coordination

Lessons Learned Samoa

Plan for early deployment despite lack of information
Support to information collection and analysis provides much added
value:

Baseline info
Maps
Assessment teams are out quick! Need to catch up with the
process and verify the quality

Initial briefing & awareness of local stakeholders managing the
disaster
Make us of PDN standard practice
Explore IM partnerships with technical agencies (SOPAC, SPREP,
etc.) for mapping, etc.
Support for funding/appeal to donors
Value of inter-agency contingency planning and data preparedness!
Activate International Charter immediately