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Overview
The Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) are highly exposed to disasters and natural hazards, exacerbated by the PICTs' remoteness, small sizes, and heavy reliance on international markets. In December 2024, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck Vanuatu, which led to a state of emergency and displaced more than 2,000 people. Such shocks disrupt livelihoods and increase food insecurity, with women, children, and persons with disabilities being disproportionately affected.
The region's vast geographical expanse, scattered islands, and high transport costs pose significant challenges to building resilient supply chains. Strengthening national and regional systems is critical to ensure the efficient delivery of essential goods and services, particularly in remote areas.
As the Pacific Logistics Cluster lead, WFP provides technical assistance and coordination support for emergency preparedness and response through a country capacity strengthening approach. In 2024, WFP updated the Logistics Capacity Assessments for Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, and the Solomon Islands, mapping key infrastructure, disaster management systems, and logistics needs to inform national and regional disaster readiness. WFP also conducted capacity needs mapping in Samoa and the Solomon Islands, working with government partners to assess and enhance supply chain preparedness through a multi-stakeholder approach. This process identified areas for improvement, including regulatory frameworks, coordination mechanisms, and supply chain optimization, supporting longer-term emergency preparedness and response. In Vanuatu, WFP partnered with the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) to develop an engagement strategy to strengthen national preparedness and response capacities, focusing on process optimization and digitalization. In February 2024, WFP and the NDMO drew insights from the capacity needs mapping and lessons learned from previous emergency responses to map business processes and workflows in the humanitarian supply chain. This informed the baseline for transitioning from paper-based systems to an electroniclogistics management information system, aligning with the Vanuatu government's priority of digital transformation. In preparation for the 2024-2025 cyclone season, WFP prepositioned mobile storage units with the NDMO to strengthen nationally-led disaster responses.
WFP strengthened emergency telecommunications institutions and systems to prepare for, respond to, and recover from climate-related disasters and other natural hazards. In 2024, the WFP-led Pacific Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC) developed a tailored capability development programme to meet the needs of government and humanitarian counterparts. WFP conducted training needs assessments (TNA) in 14 PICTs to assess national ICT emergency response capacities, using data to tailor future training initiatives. Following the TNA findings, a continuous improvement workshop was held in Tonga to analyse ICT response capabilities and identify training priorities. WFP hosted a ‘Tech Together’ Workshop in September 2024 to shape a more coordinated platform for national emergency telecommunications leads. Additionally, WFP facilitated ICT Capacity Assessments for Samoa and Vanuatu, assessing infrastructure, legal frameworks, and coordination for emergency response. WFP also conducted assessments of 22 emergency operations centres to identify gaps and provide recommendations for strengthening various components and delivered comprehensive emergency telecommunications training for 20 responders from the Fiji NDMO.
As the lack of comprehensive data on food security and market trends limits governments' ability to make informed decisions and respond effectively, WFP supported governments and stakeholders by enhancing data availability for food security, nutrition, and livelihoods, using the mobile Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping (mVAM) tool for evidence-based decision-making. WFP published the 2023 second round of mVAM bulletins for Fiji, Kiribati, Tonga, Samoa, and Vanuatu and conducted a new round of mVAM surveys in 2024. WFP worked with national governments, beginning in Fiji, to integrate mVAM into national data systems, ensuring sustainability and local ownership. Linking mVAM results to the Fiji Ministry of Agriculture and Waterway’s Strategic Development Plan and Agriculture Production Survey, for example, strengthened the prioritization of planting material support to districts based on nutrition requirements. Additionally, as part of the WFP and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) joint programme Catalyzing the Samoa National Food Systems Transformation Agenda through Collective Action, WFP and the Government of Samoa jointly held a workshop to mark the launch of a Cost of the Diet analysis. The analysis aims to identify nutrient gaps and support decision-making to improve access to nutritious diets, focusing on the most vulnerable.
The increasing climate fragility of Pacific nations, compounded by small domestic markets, high transportation costs, and dependence on imports, underscores the necessity of robust disaster risk financing and social protection systems. In 2024, WFP closely worked with the Pacific Catastrophe Risk Insurance Company to enhance disaster risk financing and protect vulnerable populations from cyclones, floods, and droughts. Additionally, WFP has supported top-up premiums for macro insurance in Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu, and Samoa, increasing coverage by up to 38 percent, and ensuring faster payouts in the event of severe weather. An insurance payout disbursement planning workshop was held in Tonga to support people-centred humanitarian financing, which will be made available and fast-tracked following payment triggers.