Missions

TSF restores family ties amongst relatives separated during the dry season.

On February 17, a large landslide buried the village of Guisagon (Leyte) under several metres of mud affecting nearly 2,000 inhabitants. In the hours that followed, TSF dispatched a team of emergency telecommunications specialists from its Asia base in Bangkok, Thailand. Less than 48 hours after the disaster, TSF had installed a telecoms centre to the benefit of all United Nations Agencies, NGOs and national and international relief workers.

On 8th October 2005, Pakistan, Afghanistan and India suffered a 7.6 magnitude earthquake. The main affected areas are northwestern India, eastern Afghanistan and especially northern Pakistan. In Pakistan, heavy relief intervention is required, with primary assessments showing the need for a telecommunications service.

Just after having returned from their mission in Guatemala, TSF Latin America teams are again called upon by Managua's authorities.

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

Hit by the drought, then by the locust invasion, Niger's harvests were insufficient in 2004. The granaries were empty and the next harvest was several months away. Famine threatened the lives of hundreds of thousands of children. Residents, local officials and NGOs called for urgent help - TSF set up an emergency communications centre in Dakoro.

Sunday, December 26, 2004, a strong shock is felt in the Indian Ocean. The intensity of the earthquake causes a tidal wave with a wave of 10 metres high, sweeping the North West coast of North Sumatra, the coast South and East of Sri Lanka, the west coast of Thailand - Faced with this extraordinary disaster, TSF intervenes in these 3 countries, communications being a priority. In less than 48 hours, TSF deploys to Sri Lanka to provide support through satellite connections to the humanitarian community and the thousands of people affected.

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.

Following the devastating tsunami that swept the Indian Ocean, TSF responded simultaneously to the needs of the affected population and relief agencies in Sri Lanka and Indonesia. TSF arrived in Indonesia within 24 hours of the government's call for international assistance and fully responded to the malfunctioning telecommunications networks in the Aceh province. The activities of TSF were essential for the coordination of the relief and the affected populations.

Three successive major typhoons mainly affected the province of Quezon - 75 km east of Manila. The intervention team from TSF, with the support of the NDCC, arrived in the city of Réal where it provided assistance to the population and rescue teams. This mission was co-funded by the European Commission.

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.

In September 2004, the strongest hurricane of the 2004 hurricane season swept the Atlantic Basin, causing catastrophic damage to Grenada. The land telecommunications and electricity network were the most damaged by the hurricane ; the mobile network was completely saturated. A great number of NGOs, institutions and local workers mobilized in St. George, the capital; however, they were unable to make contact off the island, on the island with difficulty. With the support of the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), TSF deployed on the island of Grenada to offer satellite lines for the benefit of the population, as well as data transmissions for relief organizations.