Honduras' office of the UNDAC (the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination) requested Télécoms Sans Frontières’ (TSF) support after devastating rains have killed least 24 people and thousands have been evacuated after several days of heavy rain leading to mudslides and floods. According to the government more than 200,000 have been affected, 25,000 have been left homeless and eight people are missing. The President of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya, declared a state of emergency in the whole country and requested international assistance. UNDAC requested TSF install Emergency Communications Centers for the United Nations and to provide technical assistance to facilitate aid coordination and enable relief organizations to communicate from the most remote affected areas.

This mission is supported by the Vodafone Group Foundation, the United Nations Foundation, Inmarsat, Eutelsat, Vizada, AT&T, Cable & Wireless, PCCW Global and the Regional Council of Aquitaine.

Also, TSF sent a team to the Central African Republic (CAR) to support the work of the NGO International Rescue Committee (IRC). Télécoms Sans Frontières will install HF radio links to connect IRC’s offices in Bangui to those in Bocaranga and Kaga-Bandoro situated respectively 400 and 250 kilometers from the capital to facilitate coordination of IRC’s operations. TSF will also equip IRC’s vehicles with radio systems to ensure staff security and enable communication from the remotest areas of the country.

In 2004, anti-government rebels took up arms in an effort to depose the government. By early 2006, tens of thousands of people from Nana Gribizi had fled their homes after being caught in crossfire between rebel forces and government troops. Some escaped over the border into Chad, while others were forced to live under terrible conditions deep in the bush. After a peace deal was signed last year, displaced people started moving back to their villages. There are many physical and psychological scars left with which to deal.

The IRC has launched a program that will rehabilitate 2,500 houses for people returning to their villages in the Central African Republic (CAR) after nearly two years of displacement.