Funafuti [Tuvalu], November 5: Speaking at the 2nd Pacific Disaster Risk Management Ministers Meeting in Palau this morning, Tuvalu's Minister-Secretary for National Emergency Services, Ampelosa Tehulu, said the nation faces climate-driven disasters almost every week and that its people are beginning to lose hope.
He said that they do not feel left behind but left away.
Tehulu issued a plea to Pacific neighbours, stating that regional disaster-resilience efforts must leave no country out.
He stressed that when frameworks are built to assist island nations, they must reflect each country's unique context and be driven from the local level, not imposed from above.
Meanwhile, Tuvalu has backed the draft policy framework of the Pacific Humanitarian Response Coordination Mechanism (PResCoM).
PResCoM is a regional initiative aimed at improving how Pacific Island states coordinate humanitarian and disaster response efforts. The draft will go before regional leaders at next year's Pacific Islands Forum for endorsement before being submitted to the United Nations.
Tehulu has made it clear that regional unity must be inclusive and real support must recognise and respond to the distinct challenges faced by each country.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Corporation
