Vanuatu: Humanitarian Coordination Structure (As of 23 January 2025)

The National Disaster Risk Management Act of 2019 outlines the national structures for responding to disasters. Within this framework sits the National Disaster Committee, overseen by the Council of Ministers which has responsibility for the development of strategies and polices for preparedness and response to disasters. The National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) is the operational arm of the framework and as such leads the response at the national level through the activation of the National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC). However, during emergency responses when a State of Emergency is declared, the National Controller assumes a higher position than the NEOC. The NDMO is tasked with ensuring the formulation and implementation of response plans. To support the national government's preparedness and response efforts, Vanuatu has adopted a cluster system, where each cluster is led by a ministry of the national government, typically at the level of Director General. At the provincial level, corresponding structures for disaster management exist in each of the six provinces, with support from the national structure. At the provincial level, a cluster is referred to as a "working group".