World Food Programme

Taala Tiaeki is one of the six participants taking part in the Humanitarian Warehouse Exchange (HumWE) in Brisbane. She is the Emergency Response Officer at the National Disaster Management Office in Kiribati.

Facilitated by the World Food Programme (WFP) in partnership with the Pacific-Community-SPC and Humanitarian Logistics Capability (HLC), the HumWE highlights the power of collaboration in building faster, stronger disaster response systems across the Pacific.



📸: SPC/Navneet Lal

This week in Brisbane, logistics officers from six Pacific countries are stepping inside a humanitarian warehouse to sharpen the skills that keep emergency supplies moving when disaster strikes.

Through the Humanitarian Warehouse Exchange (HumWE), participants are:

✔️ Practising real-world warehouse operations
✔️ Learning new systems and equipment
✔️ Sharing knowledge from their own countries
✔️ Building connections that will strengthen regional response

With disasters on the rise, investing in people, not just infrastructure, is key. The HumWE is helping ensure Pacific nations can lead their own response efforts with confidence, speed and coordination.



Pacific-Community-SPC

📸: SPC/Navneet Lal

Warehouse and logistics officers from six Pacific National Disaster Risk Management Offices are taking part in the inaugural Humanitarian Warehouse Exchange (HumWE) this week, a hands-on training experience inside Australia’s Humanitarian Logistics Capability (HLC), the largest humanitarian warehouse in the Southern Hemisphere.

Participants from Cook Islands, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga and Vanuatu are strengthening skills across the full disaster supply chain - from receiving and storing relief supplies to dispatch and emergency simulation exercises.

Facilitated by the World Food Programme (WFP) in partnership with the Pacific-Community-SPC and HLC, the HumWE highlights the power of collaboration in building faster, stronger disaster response systems across the Pacific.

This is more than training. It’s peer learning, regional cooperation and investing in people to ensure communities receive life-saving support when it matters most.



📸: SPC/Navneet Lal

WFP is working with the Tuvalu National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) to strengthen coordination, identify gaps, and improve emergency response efficiency as part of the Logistics Capacity Assessment (LCA).

Once completed, this resource will provide essential information to support humanitarian and logistics operations in Tuvalu during emergency responses.

We thank the Tuvalu NDMO, government and partners for their support.

The Government of Tonga, led by Hon. Prime Minister Lord Fakafanua, has officially launched the “Understanding the Experiences of Persons with Disabilities in Disasters and Emergencies in Tonga” report.

Developed through collaboration between the Ministry of Internal Affairs and WFP, this report provides critical insights into the realities faced by persons with disabilities before, during, and after disasters.

📌Some key findings of the report include:

✅Over 80% of respondents reported being affected by disasters, particularly tsunamis and cyclones.

✅Only about 36% of persons with disabilities are involved in community disaster planning, and just 26% feel their voices are heard.

✅Barriers include lack of transport, inaccessible facilities, and limited disability-inclusive evacuation plans.

This report reinforces Tonga’s commitment to building a more inclusive, resilient, and equitable society, ensuring that no one is left behind, especially in times of crisis.

WFP is supporting emergency response efforts in the Federated States of Micronesia following Typhoon Sinlaku by providing satellite connectivity to patrol vessels operating in remote outer islands with no communication access.

This support ensures that response teams can maintain critical contact while assessing needs and delivering assistance in some of the most isolated areas.

Connectivity has been provided to two key maritime missions:
FSS Tosiwo Nakayama – Northwest Islands
FSS Betwel Henry – Mortlocks Islands

Both missions include representatives from Chuuk State, the United Nations, and donor partners, working together to coordinate response efforts and reach affected communities.

WFP remains committed to strengthening emergency communications to support timely, coordinated humanitarian action across the Pacific.

UN Multi Country Office in Micronesia
Emergency Telecommunications Cluster

WFP Pacific is on the ground in Chuuk State, Federated States of Micronesia, supporting the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Emergency Management and the Disaster Coordination Office (DCO) in ongoing response and recovery efforts following Typhoon Sinlaku.

Our team is leading damage assessments of the national radio network and providing critical satellite communications support to government response operations, particularly in the areas of Chuuk most impacted by the typhoon.

Strong coordination and reliable communications are essential to reach affected communities and support response and recovery efforts.

Emergency Telecommunications Cluster
UN Multi Country Office in Micronesia

Yesterday, we were honoured to host our partners and donors for a visitation to the Pacific Logistics Response Team (LRT) training currently underway.

The visit provided an opportunity to walk our partners through the full LRT concept, its purpose in strengthening emergency logistics capacity in the Pacific, and the importance of coordinated, ready-to-deploy logistics response during disasters.

Our partners also experienced a tour of the live simulation, where participants are immersed in a realistic emergency response environment - working under pressure, solving complex logistics challenges, and coordinating with multiple actors in field‑like conditions.

We sincerely thank our donors and partners for taking the time to engage with the training and for their continued support in strengthening preparedness and response capacity across the Pacific.

This WFP led Global Logistics Cluster (GLC) training is hosted by the government of Fiji.

A few days into the first ever Logistics Response Team (LRT) training in the Pacific, participants are already deep into demanding, real-life simulation exercises designed to mirror the complex realities of emergency response in the Pacific.

Working under field-like conditions logistics professionals are being put to the test. The simulations replicate high-pressure disaster scenarios where speed, coordination and problem-solving are critical to delivering life-saving assistance.

Participants are responding as part of inter-agency Logistics Response Teams, strengthening technical, leadership and coordination skills while learning how to overcome bottlenecks such as access constraints, stakeholder coordination and rapidly changing operational environments.

This WFP led Global Logistics Cluster (GLC) training is hosted by the government of Fiji.