Missions

The 7.4 magnitude earthquake that rocked the San Marcos department of Guatemala in November 2012 caused a great deal of destruction and several dozen deaths and disappearances. TSF offered telecommunication assistance to relief organisations, and provided calls to people in temporary shelters.

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.

After a telecom assessment in El Salvador, TSF dispatched a team to Guatemala where the communications systems were damaged.

Faced with violent fires that ravaged large parts of Portugal, Télécoms Sans Frontières team deployed to the district of Castelo Branco to provide satellite telecommunications for the Portuguese Civil Defence teams and all other rescue teams on the ground.