Work Progresses on Solomon Islands Humanitarian Warehouse

By Eliza Kukutu in Koror, Palau

Work is underway to establish the country’s Humanitarian Warehouse, which is expected to strengthen government response to disasters.

Auki in Malaita Province has been identified as the location for this new warehouse, which will pre-position approved Humanitarian Emergency Relief Supplies for rapid distribution immediately before, or within 48 hours after, a disaster occurs.

For countries such as the Solomon Islands, with their vast geographical spread, this initiative will enhance national response capabilities and contribute to greater Pacific resilience to disasters.

This project is part of the Pacific Humanitarian Warehousing Program (PHWP), a Pacific-led, multi-donor initiative supporting 14 Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste in strengthening disaster preparedness and resilience through the development of national humanitarian warehousing capacity.

The Pacific Community (SPC) is the lead implementing partner for the PHWP.

Director of the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO), Jonathan Tafiariki, told local media that the warehouse will enable faster response during the emergency phase of a disaster, helping to prevent situations from reaching the secondary phase.

“This warehouse will ensure the country has pre-positioned stock ready to respond within 48 hours of a disaster. The emergency phase is critical as we try to restore normalcy to affected communities.”

“ This facility will also allow governments to respond quickly to disasters and reduce impacts in affected areas. The key concern during the emergency phase is to prevent it from entering the secondary phase because once that happens, situations become chaotic and far more costly to manage,” Tafiariki said.

The Infrastructure Specialist Unit under the PHWP has been working closely with the NDMO and the Malaita Provincial Government to develop a detailed operational brief for the warehouse in Auki.

Programme Director , Lisa Cleary said the project is currently in its initial stage, focusing on the development of the concept design.

“We’ve also engaged with the Malaita Provincial Government to understand the needs of the local communities, and those insights have been factored into the planning process.”

“ In terms of timeframe, we’re hopeful that construction will be well underway by next year. There’s a lot of preparatory work to complete, including land preparation, hazard assessments, land surveys, and geotechnical studies,” Cleary explained.

Australia and New Zealand, along with other partners such as the United States, France, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom, are providing funding support for the PHWP.

Approximately 21 million Australian dollars have already been allocated to country activities.

Kiribati opened its humanitarian warehouse last year, and Palau held a groundbreaking ceremony for its facility today, marking another step forward in the region’s disaster preparedness.

In addition to the warehouse in Malaita, Director Tafiariki confirmed that the Solomon Islands will also establish another warehouse in Honiara, through bilateral cooperation with the Australian Government.

This second facility is expected to further strengthen the capabilities of national disaster authorities in managing and mitigating disaster impacts across the country.

ENDS//