Missions

On 11 March 2011 an earthquake measuring 9 on the Richter scale triggered a tsunami in North-East Japan, with 10-metre waves ravaging the coastal areas and causing the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl, with the explosion of the reactor of the Fukushima power station. The destruction of infrastructure, the shortage of fuel, and many power cuts to the capital make the situation extremely complex. TSF deployed from its base in Bangkok to provide its emergency communications facilities. The mission drew to a close due to the high risk of the nuclear alert.

Violent fighting between Russian and Georgian forces in the breakaway region of South Ossetia forced 160,000 civilians to settle temporarily in camps where living conditions were particularly difficult. At the request of OCHA, TSF deployed to provide telecom facilities for UNHCR-led assessments in the west of the country. More than 300 families were also able to contact their relatives during telephony operations.

From its Asia-Pacific base on the campus of the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Bangkok, TSF deployed a team to strengthen relief efforts working alongside thousands of people in the Solomon Islands. The TSF team dispatched to support United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) teams - the UN emergency teams responsible for coordination and assessment in the aftermath of disasters.