Honiara, Solomon Islands - A donation of 100 polo shirts from the UN Development Programme's (UNDP) Integrated Disaster Risk Management (IDRM) Project gave a boost to the visibility and morale of the Solomon Islands National Disaster Management Office's (NDMO) National Emergency Rapid Team (NERT).

NERT stands out in the Pacific as the first rapid response team built on the UN's tried-and-tested UNDAC methodology for disaster preparedness and response. UNDAC is a key part of the international system that tackles sudden-onset emergencies.

NERT is a powerful team of 69 professionals with a wide range of skills.  This includes experienced emergency managers and humanitarian experts from the national government, provinces, development partners, NGOs, and civil society, working alongside staff from the NDMO.

The NERT provides four critical services namely:

Coordination
Support strategic and operational coordination including field coordination.

Coordinated Assessment
Support multi-sectoral assessments including Initial Situational Overview, Initial Damage Assessment and Detail Sector Assessment.

Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Response (HADR)
Supporting emergency response and humanitarian assistance during disasters.

Search and Rescue
Initiate and support multi-sector search and rescue activities during emergencies and disasters.

Australian Government representative Sarah Lailey appreciated the partnership and solidarity with the Solomon Islands Government in many development areas including climate change, disaster risk management, and humanitarian sectors. 

“We appreciate the work that the NDMO NERT do in the disaster management and humanitarian space, serving the communities. We appreciate that the NDMO chose the Australian Government as a partner of choice,” she said.