by Charley Piringi
In Koror, Palau
The Solomon Islands will soon establish a provincial humanitarian warehouse in Auki, Malaita Province, as part of a regional effort to boost disaster preparedness across the Pacific.
The project is part of the Pacific Humanitarian Warehousing Program, one of the key agendas at the Second Pacific Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Ministers Meeting in Palau.
National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) Director, Jonathan Tafiariki, said the Solomon Islands is partnering with the Pacific Community (SPC) to set up the facility, while the national warehouse will be based in Honiara.
“We are working with the SPC under the Pacific Humanitarian Warehouse Program to establish a provincial warehouse in Auki,” Tafiariki said.
“Through our bilateral agreement with the government of Australia, they will also support our national humanitarian warehouse to be based in Honiara.”
Program Director Lisa Cleary, from the Pacific Humanitarian Warehousing Program, said the project is now in its early stages.
“We are now working with the Solomon Islands NDMO and the Malaita provincial government. We’re at the survey and design stage, and hope to start construction by late 2027,” she said.
Solomon Islands Minister for Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management, and Meteorology, Polycarp Paea welcomed the program, saying it’s a timely and crucial facility for Pacific Islanders.
“My concern on the Pacific Humantarian warehouse program is the need to ensure the program must always based on the country context and not to set a standard design and approach.”
He commended SPC and the Australian government for their continuous support for the Pacific Islands, especially the Solomon Islands.
“I would like to convey my appreciation for the great work SPC is leading on the Pacific Humanitarian warehousing program and also acknowledge Australia for funding the program.”
Solomon Islands Minister for Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management, and Meteorology for the Solomon Islands, Polycarp Paea at the DRM ministers meeting, Palau.
Kiribati launched the first Pacific humanitarian warehouse in 2022, with Palau to open its own today.
The regional program aims to ensure that by 2031, Pacific Island nations and Timor-Leste can respond to disasters more independently and sustainably.
The Palau DRM Ministerial concludes today with leaders expected to issue a declaration on strengthening regional disaster resilience.
Participating countries in the Pacific Humanitarian Warehousing Program include: Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
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