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2023-12 Factsheet - Pacific

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< Jun 2023
December 2023
VRCS Distribution in Pentecost ( TC Lola 2023)

Highlights

The objective of the Pacific Shelter Cluster is to support a coherent and effective humanitarian shelter response following disaster events in Pacific Island Countries, underpinned by preparedness and capacity building initiatives. The regional coordination team led by International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in accordance with its global shelter cluster mandate, leads the Pacific Shelter Cluster as a part of the Pacific Humanitarian Team (PHT). It prioritises provision of support to country-level clusters across the Pacific, led by National DRM Offices or line-Ministries and co-led by humanitarian agencies, according to their specific needs and following the request for support from National Governments, who are responsible and lead the humanitarian response in their respective countries.

IFRC maintains dedicated coordination capacity at the regional level, with a Shelter Cluster Coordinator based in the IFRC Suva office. 

Some highlights from 2023 include:

  • Maintained leadership of Pacific Shelter Cluster within PHT: 

  • Provision of tailored support to to government-led and humanitarian co-led national shelter clusters during preparedness, response, and recovery:
    • Shelter Cluster Tonga: lead by NEMO (National Emergency Management Office) and co-led by Tonga Red Cross Society (TRCS)
    • Shelter Cluster Vanuatu: Lead by NDMO (National Disaster Management Office) and co-led by Vanuatu Red Cross Society (VRCS). Support for twin cyclones TC Judy & Kevin (Cat 4)  and TC Lola (cat 5) response, with 251,000 people (80% of the country population) and 107,000 people directly impacted, respectively. 
    • Emergency Shelter Sub-Committee Solomon Islands: Lead by Ministry of Infrastructure & Development and co-led by Solomon Islands Red Cross Society and IFRC
    • Shelter Cluster Fiji: Lead by Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management and co-led by IFRC and Habitat for Humanity Fiji.

If you wish to contribute updates for inclusion in this factsheet, please contact coord.pacific@sheltercluster.org

Need analysis

The Pacific region is highly disaster prone, and its populations are particularly vulnerable to natural hazards. The impacts of climate change affect livelihoods, coastal settlements, infrastructure, ecosystems and economic stability in the region. Rise in sea level poses an increasing threat to low-lying coastal areas. Specific shelter vulnerability factors include growing urbanization and the growth of informal settlements, which often result in substandard housing and infrastructure, compounded by social and economic marginalization. 

During 2023, three major cyclones hit Vanuatu, with the consequent activation of national clusters for response:

  • Back to back Cat 4 TC Judy&Kevin made landfall on 1-3 March. NDMO assessment report, released on April 5th, estimated that 24,000 HH (120,000 people) had their houses severely (54%) or partially destroyed (46%) within the damage-priority provinces (Shefa, Tafea and Malampa).
  • Cat. 5 TC Lola made landfall in October 25th, few days before the cyclone season officially started. Within the 30,000 HH directly impacted, over 7,000 had their house completely destroyed or heavily damaged, according to NDMO official data. (Penama, Sanma, Shefa and Torba provinces).

Response

PREPAREDNESS and CAPACITY BUILDING

Multi-country and regional:

  • The Pacific Shelter Cluster team continues to raise key advocacy points at the regional level through the Pacific Humanitarian Team's (PHT) Regional Inter-Cluster Coordinator's Group (RICCG) and remains on standby to support National Shelter Cluster Leads across the region for potential response, as well as with preparedness and capacity building activities.
  • Contributed to the Pacific Humanitarian Team (PHT) Annual report for 2022.
  • Contributed and foster participation for the 2023-2024 PHT Preparedness Package.
  • Contributed to the Protection and Shelter Tipsheet, under the lead of the Pacific Humanitarian Protection Cluster Support Team. 
  • Stockpiles of standard emergency shelter and essential household items are updated in STOCKHOLM platform, which has replaced PALM platform.
  • Coordinated and facilitated a Regional Stockholm online training for national shelter cluster , with the participation of 14 members from Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands, and IFRC CCD Suva Office.
  • Engaged in 13 PHT RICCG meetings and 3 PHT Principals meetings, covering preparedness and ongoing responses in the Pacific.
  • Maintained and disseminated the Pacific Shelter Cluster and National Shelter Cluster websites for preparedness (Vanuatu, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tonga) and response (TC Judy Kevin Vanuatu 2023)
  • Ongoing participation and contribution in the PHT Revision process that started in November 2023.

Vanuatu:

  • National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) is the lead of the Shelter Cluster and Vanuatu Red Cross Society the co-lead, with IFRC support.
  • The impact of the 3 Tropical cyclones have re-focused the support required from country cluster to response, rather than preparedness. 
  • On May 5th, Vanuatu Shelter Cluster facilitated a Good Practices and Lesson Learnt for the TC Judy & Kevin emergency response, that will inform the preparedness agenda for the following months. This contributed to the Lessons Learnt and Best practices National workshop for TC Judy-Kevin response held in September.
  • The follow up of the survey to contextualize and update key Shelter Cluster Documents after TC Judy-Kevin Response was put on hold, due to the impact of TC Lola in October 2023.
  • Revision and update of Shelter Cluster ToR is ongoing.

Fiji:

  • Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management officially appointed as Shelter Cluster Lead in Fiji, with IFRC and Habitat for Humanity Fiji as co-leads
  • Three shelter cluster meetings for preparedness convened in June, September and November 2023, to re-activate the cluster, bring together the members, update their preparedness plan for the cyclone season 23-24, discuss on revision of Shelter Cluster ToR and workplan. With the approach to Fiji of TC Mal in November, the cluster meeting was combined with updates of preparedness activities from cluster members, should a potential response be needed. The impact of the cyclone in the shelter sector was minimal, so no response was necessary.
  • A 1-day workshop, including 35 cluster members (comprising Government Representatives, Red Cross Movement, Local NGO's, Faith Based organizations, CBO's and donors) is planned for January 2024. It will cover Lesson Learnt and Best Practices for responses since TC Winston (2016), which will feed the cluster workplan, and revision and endorsement of updated cluster ToR.

Tonga:

  • National Emergency Management Office (NEMO) leads the Emergency Shelter & Non-Food Items Cluster, with TRCS as co-lead, and the support of IFRC.
  • The cluster lead from NEMO was newly appointed in 2023. Three (3) face to face meetings were held among the shelter cluster coordination team to discuss key priorities and the support required from the lead agency.
  • Ongoing revision of cluster ToR and SOP.
  • Ongoing final revision of “Standardization of Emergency Shelter and Essential Household items" document.

RESPONSE (in support to Pacific Governments following their request for assistance).

Vanuatu:

TC Judy & TC Kevin (March 2023):

  • Back-to-back Cat 4. tropical cyclones hit Vanuatu on the 1st and 3rd of March, impacting the 6 provinces. State of Emergency for a period of 6 months was nationally declared on March 5th. 
  • Shelter Cluster was convened on March 5th, with a total of 32 partners. 
  • 18 Shelter Cluster meetings convened in total during the response.
  • Five different priority areas were established according to level of impact: priority 1 (Efate in Shefa prov. and Tafea prov), priority 2 (Shefa outer islands and Malampa prov), priority 3 (Pentecost Island in Penama prov), priority 4(Maewo Island in Penama prov) and priority 5 (Sanma and Torba prov). 
  • Shelter cluster response plan was included in the National Response Plan (NRP), endorsed by National Disaster Committee on April 5th.
  • PHT Humanitarian Needs and Priority (HNP) paper was drafted as an annex to the NRP.
  • NDMO assessment report was released on April 5th estimating that 24,000 HH had their houses severely (54%-12,960 HH) or partially destroyed (46%-11,040 HH) within Shefa, Tafea and Malampa provinces. 
  • Shelter Cluster Strategy agreed and endorsed on March 23, targeting 15,000 HH for Emergency Shelter and Essential Household items assistance.
  • 62,575 affected people (12,515 HH) have been reached. A total of 25,179 emergency shelter items (including tarpaulins, rapid tool kits and shelter tool kits) and 4,795 Essential HH items (kitchen sets, blankets, and mats) were distributed, along with safe shelter awareness, key build back safer messages and EIC material on Use, re-use and disposal of tarpaulins.
  • IFRC CCD Pacific Shelter Coordinator arrived in country on March 8th (2,5 weeks), followed by a first rotation of Surge Shelter Cluster Coordinator (4 weeks) and IM Shelter Cluster coordinator (10 weeks).
  • Shelter Cluster Strategy, including early Recovery activities was agreed on April 25th, contributing to the Recovery Plan developed by The Department of Strategic Planning, Policy and Aid Coordination (DSPPAC).
  • TC Judy Kevin Vanuatu 2023 website created within the Country Shelter Cluster Website.

TC Lola (October 2023)

  • Cat. 5 Tropical cyclone made landfall in Penama Province (Pentecost and Maewo) on October 25th. 
  • State of emergency was declared on October 27th for 5 provinces (Penama, Malampa, Shefa, Sanma and Torba), for a period of 6 months.
  • 200,000 people were exposed to the effect of the cyclone, with 107,500 people (21,500HH) directly affected and 9,160 HH (45,800pp) in need of shelter, according to NDMO initial assessments.
  • Shelter Cluster strategy was agreed on Oct 31st targeting 8,500 HH (42,500 pp), from which 6,621 HH have been reached with emergency shelter assistance and 2,253 HH with Essential HH items.
  • Shelter Cluster response plan was developed following the SC Strategy and was included in the National Response Plan endorsed by Vanuatu Government on Nov 3th, covering 6 months intervention.
  • 10,998 emergency shelter items (including tarpaulins, rapid tool kits and shelter tool kits) and 6,748 essential HH items (kitchen sets, blankets and mats) have been distributed, alongside with safe shelter awareness and BBS key messages.
  • 10 Shelter cluster meetings have been convened since October 26th, with the participation of 15 cluster members.
  • IFRC CCD Pacific Shelter Coordinator arrived in country on October 30th (2 weeks), followed by a first rotation of Surge Shelter Cluster Coordinator (3 months)
  • Ongoing discussions for the Shelter Cluster Recovery Plan, which would feed the National Recovery Plan elaborated by DSPACC.
  •  Vanuatu TC Lola 2023 shelter cluster website established and maintained.

 

Gaps / challenges

Recurring challenges which hamper the support to National Clusters in the Pacific Region include:

  • Capacity: Frequent turnover of key national shelter cluster coordination team members and shelter cluster members (both Government and humanitarian).
  • Funding: Inadequate funding available for widescale shelter preparedness, response, and recovery.
  • Frequency: The increasing frequency of natural hazards in the Pacific, happening also outside the traditional cyclone season, poses real challenges to focus on preparedness and recovery plans.