Missions

In July 2021, record rainfall caused widespread flooding across Western Europe, with some areas suffering the worst devastation in decades. More than 180 casualties were confirmed and thousands forced to leave their houses.

After a powerful cyclone made landfall in Mozambique in the night between 14 and 15 March, TSF teams deployed to the coastal area of Beira to provide communication means to the affected population.

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake followed by a tsunami hit the Indonesian island of Sulawesi on September 28. TSF immediately deploys its ICT technicians on site.

In response to the series of earthquakes that struck Indonesia between 28th July and 19th August 2018, TSF supported the affected population on Lombok Island.

Within the framework of operational partnerships with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Télécoms Sans Frontières is the go-to organisation for providing technical expertise and training workshops on the application of emergency telecommunications in the humanitarian context.

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.

TSF strengthens the coordination of national and international relief efforts in the remote Mentawai islands following an earthquake-induced tsunami.

In early October 2009, two successive earthquakes struck the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. The number of victims is over 1,100, more than 1,200 seriously injured and nearly 200,000 people homeless. TSF implemented several satellite connections for UNDAC teams, coordination centres, and the hospital in Padang. Humanitarian calling operations were also set up in the isolated villages of the Padang and Pariaman districts, which had been completely destroyed by the disaster.

The flood of the Zambezi River exceeded the alert level by 3m at the beginning of 2008. More than 100,000 Mozambicans were displaced in temporary accommodation camps. At the request of UNCEF, TSF supported the ETC in the coordination centres of Mopeia, Caia and Mutarara. The team then traveled through the temporary camps to offer free calls to those affected. More than 1000 families were able to give news to their loved ones.

Weeks of heavy rains triggered flash floods along the Zambezi river and its tributaries, washing away homes, bridges, livestock and crops in four central provinces (Tete, Manica, Sofala and Zambezia). In coordination with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and Unicef, Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF) responded to the emergency by deploying a first communication centre at the office of the National Disaster Management Institute of Mozambique (INGC) in Caia, only 24 hours after the activation of the Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC) on February 15th.

After a 6.2 earthquake strikes Java Island in Indonesia, TSF deployed satellite lines to support the United Nations relief efforts.

Three months after the devastating tsunami, another 8.7 earthquake was occurred off Sumatra. On 28th March 2005, the population, which was already traumatized by the tsunami, believed to relive a new tidal wave. TSF deployed on the island of Sumatra from 31st March. The following day, at the request of the Indonesian government and OCHA, the Singaporean army transported the TSF team to the south of Nias Island where satellite lines were provided to relief and disaster relief.