IOM’s Pacific footprint has expanded a little further with the opening of a new sub-office in Weno, Chuuk State, in the Federated States of Micronesia.

IOM has been operating in Micronesia since 2008 in support of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), in the area of disaster preparedness. More recently, a programme funded by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), focusing on climate change and disaster risk reduction necessitated the establishment of a permanent presence in Chuuk.

Pacific correspondent Campbell Cooney

Food has arrived at a remote boarding school in the northern Pacific, three weeks after it ran out of supplies to feed nearly 300 students.

Weipat High School on Onoun, one of the remote outer islands of the Federated States of Micronesia state of Chuuk, provides education and accommodation to around 270 students from all the islands around the region.

Three weeks ago the school was forced to close its doors and send students to live with the community after provisions ran out.

A senior government official in Guam says the American humanitarian organisation USAID could help students from a remote Pacific school who have run out of food.

Weipat High School on Onoun, one of the remote outer islands of the Federated States of Micronesia state of Chuuk, provides education and accommodation to around 270 students from all the islands around the region.

Last week, the school was forced to close its doors and send students to live with the community after provisions ran out.

Press Briefing Notes Friday 12th October 2012 Spokesperson: Jumbe Omari Jumbe

As the world marks the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (13/10), IOM has announced the start of a major Asian initiative to assist vulnerable communities to prepare for and reduce the risk of natural disasters.

The organization has received USD17 million, mainly from the USA and Australia, which will be used primarily for community-based disaster risk reduction, but also to build capacity in governments and national partners.

Updated 20 September 2012, 12:17 AEST

More disaster management training throughout the Pacific Islands is one of the recommendations of a report launched this week.

Pacific needs more disaster management training (Credit: ABC)

In the last decade almost one million people have been killed by disasters and more than one trillion dollars have been lost worldwide

Brussels, 11 June 2012

Pacific Islands – EU relations: Focus on Climate change

Pacific Islands – EU cooperation

The Pacific Plan for Strengthening Regional Cooperation and Integration, adopted by Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders in 2005, sets out the region’s goals on cooperation and integration from 2006 to 2015 in four areas: economic growth, sustainable development, governance and security.

Medical authorities say a dengue fever outbreak that has claimed at least two lives in the northern Pacific has peaked.

In the state of Yap in the Federated States of Micronesia more than 900 people remain infected, while in Marshall Islands where 1,400 people were infected just a few new cases are being reported each day.

A World Health Organisation medical epidemiologist based in Suva, Dr Eric Nilles says there's no connection between the outbreaks as they are different strains of the fever.

The focus of the dengue fever epidemic in the northern Pacific has shifted from Marshall Islands to Yap.

More than 200 hundred cases have been reported in the small community in Yap.

The World Health Organisation has been asked by the FSM Ministry of Health to assist with the Yap outbreak.

In Marshall Islands, there maybe some good news as the dengue outbreak may have reached its peak.

Presenter:Geraldine Coutts Speaker:Dr Eric Nilles, World Health Organisation

Holding out for a 'perfect' deal at next month's climate change summit in Copenhagen could result in there being no agreement at all, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned today, calling on all States to get behind a deal that is as ambitious as possible but also has broad international support.

In an address to the Commonwealth summit meeting with small island developing States, held in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Mr. Ban told participants that given their countries were on the frontline of the impact of climate change, it was vital that their