United Nations World Food Programme Emergency Response Facilities Teheran, May 2001 Peter Casier, He

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United NationsWorld Food Programme Emergency
Response FacilitiesTeheran, May 2001Peter
Casier, Head FITTESTPictures in this
presentation were deleted to compress the
file
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WFPEmergency Response Facilities

• Introduction
• WFPs Emergency Response Capacity
• FITTEST WFPs E.R. technical backbone
• E.R. example Gujurat Earthquake
• Telecommunications as a key factor in E.R.
• Conclusion

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WFPEmergency Response Facilities

• Introduction
• WFPs Emergency Response Capacity
• FITTEST WFPs E.R. technical backbone
• E.R. example Gujurat Earthquake
• Telecommunications as a key factor in E.R.
• Conclusion

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Introduction

• World Food Programme, the UN food aid arm
• Worlds largest food aid relief organisation
• Providing food for emergencies and development
  projects
• Active in 80 countries
• Moving 2.8 million metric tons of
  food/year(commodities valued at US647 million)
• 2,116 regular international staff
• Yearly expenditure US1.2 billion (including
  value of food, and 8.1 admin. overhead)

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Introduction (cont.)

• Emergency Response (E.R.) in WFP termsResponse
  in case of an acute food need caused by
• Natural disaster
• Armed conflict
• Famine caused by an agricultural shortage

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WFPEmergency Response Facilities

• Introduction
• WFPs Emergency Response Capacity
• FITTEST WFPs E.R. technical backbone
• E.R. example Gujurat Earthquake
• Telecommunications as a key factor in E.R.
• Conclusion

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WFPs Emergency Response Capacity

• Large logistics capacity for UN and NGOs
• WFP manages the UNHRD E.R. warehouse in Brindisi
  (Italy) for UN and NGOs
• Dedicated E.R. logistics stock
• Dedicated E.R. food stock
• Large redeployable aircraft and truck fleet
  operating worldwide

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WFPs Emergency Response Capacity(cont.)

• Dedicated E.R. technical support team (FITTEST)
• E.R. agency culture
• Majority of WFPs work is E.R. oriented
• E.R. facilitating mechanisms
• Special administrative, financial and HR
  procedures to facilitate E.R.
• E.R. response roster with specially trained staff
• Quarterly E.R. trainings

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WFPEmergency Response Facilities

• Introduction
• WFPs Emergency Response Capacity
• FITTEST WFPs E.R. technical backbone
• E.R. example Gujurat Earthquake
• Telecommunications as a key factor in E.R.
• Conclusion

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FITTESTWhats in a name?

• Fast
• IT
• Telecoms
• Emergency
• and
• Support
• Team

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FITTEST Technical support

• Voice and data telecommunications
• HF, VHF, microwave radio
• Telephone, switchboards, building wiring
• Satellite (from handheld to Earthstations)
• Internet
• Information Technology (I.T.)
• Computer hardware and software
• Computer Networks (LAN and WAN)
• Data connectivity

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FITTEST Technical support

• Emergency electricity utilities
• Generators, UPS, voltage regulators
• Solar and wind generated power
• Office wiring

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FITTEST Terms of Reference

• Support emergency response
• Upgrade WFP technical infrastructure to a common
  baseline
• infrastructure
• staffing and support level
• Support for larger scale telecom/IT projects

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FITTEST facts and figures

• 11 international staff and 5 national staff
• Two operating centres Islamabad and Kampala
• Covering mainly Africa, Middle East, Asia and
  Europe
• Emergency stocks in Europe, Islamabad and Kampala
  sufficient for 12 emergency offices
• 2001 operational budget 4,000,000
• In 2000 90 missions in 40 countries (5
  continents)

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FITTEST integrated in WFPs ER system

• PARS phases
• Preparedness
• Alert
• Response
• Support

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WFPEmergency Response Facilities

• Introduction
• WFPs Emergency Response Capacity
• FITTEST WFPs E.R. technical backbone
• E.R. example Gujurat Earthquake
• Telecommunications as a key factor in E.R.
• Conclusion

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Gujurat Preparedness phase

• Telephone call on MondayWFP might be asked by
  the Government of India for assistance
• Conference call Rome/Kampala/IslamabadShortlist
  available resources

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Gujurat Alert phase

• Telephone call on Wednesday 16h30Government
  asked WFP for assistance
• Planned missions are put on hold
• Staff is put in standby

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Gujurat Response Phase

• Telephone call Wednesday 20h00WFP is
  responding with 20 E.R. staff, FITTEST to install
  infrastructure for two bases
• Wednesday 23h00 budget is approved
• Thursday prepare equipment
• Friday pack equipment
• Saturday 08h00 UN plane to Gujurat with three
  people and 2 tons of equipment.

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Gujurat Response Phase (cont.)

• Saturday 15h00 Landing in Bhuj
• Sunday 01h00 first site operational
• Generator and electricity wiring for camp
• VHF radio repeater and handhelds on air
• HF radio and satellite telephone operational
• Email operational
• Monday local transport to second site
• Tuesday 1100 am second site operational

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Gujurat Support Phase

• Following three weeks
• Hiring and training of additional local staff
• Installation of LAN in Bhuj
• Installation of Email and Internet centre for
  NGOs and UN
• Extension of VHF radio network for all UN
  agencies and implementing partners

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Gujurat Support Phase (cont.)

• Installation of emergency telephone lines,
  switchboard and telephones in all tents
• Additional electrical power and wiring
• Hand-over to national staff
• Demobilization of E.R. staff and unused equipment
• One site is still operational today (two months
  after initial deployment).

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Gujurat summary

• First site operational within 72 hours after
  Mission Go signal with
• Self-reliant electricity supply
• Local and International voice and data
  communications
• Total cost US76,279 of which
• US 21,047 for staffing and travel
• US 12,952 for plane chartering
• US 42,280 for equipment

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Gujurat main lessons learned

• Deployment was fast
• Technical facilities catered for all
  communication needs
• But operation was hampered due to initial lack of
  licensing
• VHF licensing came 4 days after deployment
• HF license came 2 weeks after deployment
• Satellite phone licensing came 3 weeks after
  deployment

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WFPEmergency Response Facilities

• Introduction
• WFPs Emergency Response Capacity
• FITTEST WFPs E.R. technical backbone
• E.R. example Gujurat Earthquake
• Telecommunications as a key factor in E.R.
• Conclusion

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The importance of E.R. telecoms

• Knowing public communications might be out,
  partially damaged, or at least saturated
• Staff safety requirement
• Staff safety is the first priority in any
  operation
• Staff movement tracking
• Staff need to be able to call for assistance at
  any time

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The importance of E.R. telecoms

• Operational requirements
• Co-ordination of operations internally and with
  external partners
• Commodity flow tracking and internal reporting
• Financial and administrative transactions
• Effective donor reporting

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Typical E.R. telecoms scenario
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Communications requirements within each
operational center

• Voice communications for all critical staff
• Open communications channel. No encryption.
• One to One, monitored by all
• One to Many (broadcast messages)
• Carried on-body
• 24h/day
• Solution standard VHF repeater network with
  handheld radios

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Communications requirements between O.C. and
with HQ

• Voice communications
• Open communications channel. No encryption.
• One to One, monitorable by all
• One to Many (broadcast messages)
• Installed in bases
• 24h/day
• Solution standard HF voice network with base
  radios

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Communications requirements between O.C. and
with HQ

• Data communications
• ASCII text as well as binary data
• Batch operated, relative high volume
• Single or multiple access points
• Installed in bases
• 24h/day
• Solution Email over HF network with base radios

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Communications requirements with outside world

• Data communications
• similar requirements as for O.C. to HQ
• goes via HQ
• Solution Email to international gateway via
  Internet or satellite
• Voice communications
• From/to any point to/from outside world
• 24h/day
• Solution satellite communications

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Communications requirements for staff/vehicle
movement

• Voice communications
• Open communications channel. No encryption.
• One to One, monitorable by all
• One to Many (broadcast messages)
• Installed in cars
• 24h/day
• Solution standard HF and VHF voice network with
  mobile radios

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E.R. communications requirements. Summary

• Operational Centres
• VHF repeater and VHF handheld radios
• HF voice and data radio
• Satellite telephone
• Operational HQ
• VHF repeater and VHF handheld radios
• HF voice and data radio
• Satellite telephones
• Vehicles
• HF and VHF voice radios

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E.R. communications preparedness

• Backbone comms should be operational before the
  emergency
• No dusty room Open in case of emergency
• Comms is to be used in current operations
• Comms can help in current UN operations
• Ensuring staff is properly trained to operate
  equipment
• So when an emergency happens
• emergency comms is ready
• extension of communications is easy

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Demonstration

• WFPs Emergency Email system

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Practical needs for UN communications as part of
disaster preparedness

• HF and VHF frequency licenses
• Import licenses for HF, VHF and satphones
• Minimum backbone of equipment installed and
  operational
• While ensuring with inter-operatability with MoI
  disaster communication systems
• at Operational centers and HQ

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WFPEmergency Response Facilities

• Introduction
• WFPs Emergency Response Capacity
• FITTEST WFPs E.R. technical backbone
• E.R. example Gujurat Earthquake
• Telecommunications as a key factor in E.R.
• Conclusion

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Conclusions

• The UN can assist the government with Emergency
  Response
• WFP, for example, has specific experiences in
  E.R. when it comes to food aid, logistics and
  technical backup
• Adequate disaster telecommunications facilities
  are a must for an effective E.R.
• The UN kindly requests the government to support
  the deployment of a disaster response capable
  telecom network