Sub Regional Office for the Pacific

The Sub-Regional Office (SRO) for the Pacificin Fiji ensures that regional responders work together to deliver timely and appropriate humanitarian assistance to affected people across the Pacific. In 2010 alone, Fiji and the Pacific Islands faced emergencies that included five tropical cyclones, two volcanic eruptions and one tsunami.
 
The SRO in Fiji supports coordination between partners through the Pacific Humanitarian Team (PHT), which covers 14 Pacific Island countries. The PHT includes 150 organizations that undertake relief, early recovery and protection activities. Members are based in 27 countries and have been active in seven clusters. These regional clusters remain on standby to respond to emergencies and strengthen preparedness.
 
Building on recent inter-agency contingency planning exercises in Vanuatu, Cook Islands and Tonga, OCHA will target twoadditional countries in 2011 with contingency-planning workshops. These are likely to be Fiji and the Solomon Islands. The workshops will strengthen working relationships between humanitarian agencies and national authorities, and build a common understanding of national and international disaster-response architectures.
 
In 2011, OCHA will lead and support the review of joint national and international multi-sector rapid assessment methodologies in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. OCHA will also foster relationships with national networks on the ground, including women’s associations, to speak out on their behalf and ensure their regular inclusion in response planning.