Missions

A powerful 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti on Saturday 14 August. TSF deployed a team from its headquarters to provide humanitarian assistance in the affected area.

After the hurricane, the most affected cities of Jérémie and Les Cayes were deprived of contact with the outside world. TSF teams were on hand to provide the essential communications to rescue teams and residents.

The 2010 earthquake in Haiti is a humanitarian crisis that remains engraved in the memories of people across the globe. With more than 220,000 fatalities, and over 1 million people left without a roof over their heads, relief efforts were titanic. With the support of the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations body (ECHO), TSF provided satellite telecommunications support for the humanitarian response community, including the government and the United Nations, whilst working to provide communications services for thousands of families.

TSF supported satellite communications and IT resource centres for humanitarian emergency operations following four hurricanes in Haiti.

TSF deployed a team of emergency telecommunications specialists in the Darfur region of Sudan to conduct an assessment mission for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The mission was to assess the telecommunications infrastructure in Nyala, El Genina and El Fasher to determine the needs of the United Nations and NGOs in these cities located to the west of the country near the Chadian border. This conflict-ridden region, which, according to international experts, had since 2003 killed more than 200,000 people and forced more than two million to flee fighting and take refuge in makeshift camps on both sides of the border in Chad and Sudan.

Cyclone Jeanne hit Haiti on 18th September. Two days of heavy rains led to serious flooding in North West Haiti, principally affecting the town of Gonaives. At the time of the disaster, TSF was already mobilised on the island of Grenada since 13th September. A TSF team arrived on Haiti on 24th September and had be augmented one week later. The team was from this date operational to bring help and support to the victims as well as local and international NGOs.

TSF deployed to the Dominican Republic and Haiti following devastating floods to create emergency communications centres for relief agencies and the affected population

Although it is difficult to prevent risks, the preparation and investment in effective response mechanisms at regional and national levels limit the impact of humanitarian disasters. Haiti being regularly threatened by natural disasters, the collaboration between TSF and ANSH is part of an effective emergency response strategy.