By Roger Muller, Marshall Islands Red Cross Society
Marshall Islands Red Cross volunteers are working with the government to conduct a mass tuberculosis and leprosy screening in the North Pacific nation where it is estimated that one in four people are positive with tuberculosis.
Globally, the Marshall Islands ranks in the top ten countries with tuberculosis occurrence and top three for leprosy. While both diseases are infectious, they are both curable and screening is the first step for treatment.
Communities in the remote, drought prone, northern atolls of the Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI) are trialling new food security measures to increase the availability of local food crops, expand the use of drought resistant crop varieties, improve soil management practices, and establish nurseries.
MAJURO, June 6, 2018 – The World Bank and the Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands this week launched two climate change related projects that will increase investments in renewable energy, promote energy efficiency, and enhance the country’s resilience to the impacts of climate change.
A team from the Pacific Community (SPC), is deploying oceanographic instruments along the lagoon and ocean shoreline in numerous locations throughout Majuro atoll. The instruments will record wave data in the area over the next 12 months to better prepare the atoll for the impacts of climate change.
By Giff Johnson
Majuro - The Kwajalein Atoll Council is the first local government in the Marshall Islands to address growing concerns about the impact of climate change by adopting a resolution to focus attention and action on the looming threats, including plans to spend $US120,000 annually for developing and teaching a curriculum on the issue.
Read more on Radio New Zealand Internationa.
By Hanna Butler / IFRC
The 191st pin on the Red Cross Red Crescent world map is set to be for the Marshall Islands Red Cross, which is on track to becoming the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ (IFRC) newest National Society, after the first visit from the Secretary General of the IFRC. Elhadj As Sy visited the islands from 15 to 21 March 2018.
Surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, the Republic of the Marshall Islands is home to 50,000 people, across 29 coral atolls and more than 1,150 islands and islets.
11/03/2018 Wotje, Marshall Islands With the effects of climate change and extreme weather events disproportionately affecting people in the Pacific, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with the support of the Marshall Islands government is providing emergency aid to some of the Marshall Islands remote atolls hit hardest by drought.
The study finds that direct and indirect damages due to flooding and coastal erosion on Ebeye Island are possible. The main source of direct damages are damages to the houses and to the causeway. Estimated total damages may increase of about a factor 3 to 4 by the end of the century due to sea level rise, and depending on the sea level rise scenario considered. The expected annual affected people (EAAP), defined as the number of people yearly affected by a flooding event with a water depth of at least 20 cm of water, may double by the year 2100.
By Giff Johnson
The sobering statistic that the growth of one in three Marshall Islands children is stunted has propelled President Hilda Heine and the Marshall Islands government to launch a major effort to improve early childhood nutrition and health status.
Read more on Radio New Zealand International.
Description: The International Organization for Migration (IOM) mission in the Federated States of Micronesia oversees the offices in the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and Palau. The IOM mission in the Federated States of Micronesia has created a country strategy for the period 2017–2020 for each country, tailored to fit specific government needs and priorities.
Project Highlights Coordination & Information Management
• Jenna Lusaka commenced as National Logistics Cluster Developement officer in October. She will liaise with the Pacific Islands Countries (PIC) to support the development of ConOPS/ SOPs and tools and the establishment or strengthening of national Logistics Clusters and Committees.
The Country Preparedness Package (CPP) is a joint initiative of the Governments of the Pacific Islands and the Pacific Humanitarian Team (PHT). The CPP is intended to strengthen preparedness and collaboration between national and international actors in the event of a disaster.
The European Union (EU) and the Pacific Community have signed an agreement to build resilience to future El Niño related droughts in the Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Marshall Islands and Republic of Palau.
With no substantial rainfall since November 2016, the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) declared a state of emergency in April 2017 due to a severe drought affecting the country. At the time eight out of the country’s 29 atolls were affected by the drought, impacting approximately 12 per cent of the overall population of RMI.
IOM’s Final Supplemental Food Distribution
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) completed its final 2016 El Nino Drought Response supplemental food distribution in March 2017. This distribution was based on an agricultural assessment in November 2016 which found that certain food items were taking longer to recover from the drought than expected. The resulting distribution included a two-month, ½ ration of rice, canned fruit and canned vegetables for 2,312 beneficiaries on six affected Atolls/Islands.
WASHINGTON D.C., May 9, 2017 –The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved today grant financing for a project that is expected to help communities in the Marshall Islands – already vulnerable to recurring drought and flooding – prepare better for the impact of climate change.
The Pacific Resilience Project II will receive a US$19.6 million grant for the Marshall Islands and a US$4 million grant for the Pacific Community (SPC) to support this important initiative.
MARSHALL ISLANDS
Over the past several weeks, extreme drought was reported in eight atolls across the Marshall Islands including Wotje and Utirik. As of 20 April, the drought has affected an estimated 6,400 people. On 24 April, the Government declared a State of Emergency for 31 days in the affected areas. The Emergency Operations Centre was activated and is coordinating the response with local governments and national clusters. Authorities are liaising with bilateral partners to support the in-country response.
6,400 people affected
9 December 2016, CBD COP13, Cancun Mexico - The Republic of the Marshall Islands has announced the Blue Fee, an internal financial initiative that uses a percentage of the islands tuna fund for financing national biodiversity conservation effort and climate adaptation efforts.
New Zealand Embassy Supports Rainwater Harvesting Improvement Project in Kabin Meto (Ujae, Lae, Wotho)
Four Years of Partnership: DFAT, IOM, PSS and RMI Leadership
Since early 2012, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has been working closely with the Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), particularly the Office of the Chief Secretary (OCS), National Disaster Management Office (NDMO), Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Cluster and Public School System (PSS) to implement disaster preparedness and response activities, with funding provided by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
