Thirty five Samsung Galaxy tablets were handed over to NEMO by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Nuku'alofa on 2 June. The tablets will help the National Emergency Management Office to collate and assess data for response and recovery planning.

Director for NEMO, Mafua Maka thanked the UNDP for the assistance. “TC Gita and the HTHH event highlighted the need for greater use of technology in Tonga’s disaster response from data collection, analysis, and the communicating of that data to ensure decision-makers make good, informed decisions. The IDA process delivered by our own people, coupled with equipment, and systems is foundational to those outcomes. These tablets are necessary elements to reaching those outcomes.”

He said NEMO is preparing for another round of IDA Assessor training later this year, and looked forward to working together with its development partners in activities that continue to build the organisation, its stakeholder capacities and capabilities in responding to disasters.

The UNDP Deputy Resident in Fiji Representative Ms. Yemesrach Workie said, “UNDP will remain committed to assisting national and local governments in building resilient communities and strengthening their adaptive capacity to respond to events like HTHH”.

“I would like to congratulate the Government of Tonga for demonstrating their transition towards proactive disaster risk management”.

UNDP delivered the first set of assets and equipment in 2022, to NEMO offices in Nuku’alofa and Vava‘u.