Less than a week after deploying to respond to Tropical Storm Noel in the Dominican Republic, Telecoms Sans Frontieres (TSF) sent a crew of emergency telecommunication specialists yesterday to Mexico to support the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination teams (UNDAC) in the aftermath of the heavy floods currently affecting the country.
Over one million inhabitants of the south-eastern states of Mexico have been affected by serious floods and 80% of the State of Tabasco is under water. The weather forecast for the coming days predicted more rains which would seriously deteriorate the already alarming situation of the affected Mexicans.
TSF's team landed in the capital Mexico City on Wednesday evening and are moving to the disaster area as quickly as possible. TSF's team is carrying satellite communications and IT equipment. After assessing the damages to telecommunications and the needs of rescue teams and of the population, TSF could deploy one or several Emergency Communication Centres to facilitate the coordination of relief efforts and communicate the needs of the population.
Telecoms Sans Frontieres says that it is ready to send more emergency responders with equipment depending on needs and on the situation in the coming days.
In the Dominican Republic, seriously affected by Tropical Storm Noel, TSF is still deployed to support the United Nations and already deployed a first Emergency Communication Centre in the office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Santo Domingo, the focal point for relief coordination. The Centre for Emergency Operations (COE) reported that 79 people had been killed, 43 are still missing, more than 65,000 people were driven from their homes and over 16,000 houses destroyed.
TSF's mission in Mexico is the sixth emergency deployment in less than three months and the thirteenth since signing an agreement with the United Nations in May 2006.
Posted to the site on 8th November 2007
Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/27251.php