Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF) is among the first to help in times of need, especially when a country such as Haiti, the poorest in the Western hemisphere, which was already suffering from a global food crisis then got hit by three consecutive hurricanes. In August and September 2008, Gustav, Hanna and Ike devastated the island nation.

The storms killed hundreds, displaced thousands, and destroyed vital crops. Then adding insult to injury, up to 80 percent of densely populated areas like the northern city of Gonaïves were flooded. In some places water levels reached over nine feet (three meters), leaving hospitals unusable and schools closed. 

Food and clean drinking water were critically needed. The UN Foundation’s Technology Program supported the use of mobile technology to help reconnect families, aid workers and emergency response missions during this crisis. Emergency telecommunications officers from both the UN World Food Programme (WFP), the UN’s food relief agency, and the non-governmental organization Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF) deployed immediately to support the ongoing relief effort.

The successive storms had severely damaged Haiti’s communications infrastructure, making outside telecommunications support an essential part of the humanitarian assistance mission. TSF and WFP brought in tools like mobile satellite data transmitters to power phone, fax and data lines, enabling relief workers to communicate with one another and back to their headquarters about the situation and needs on the ground.

In addition, TSF’s telecoms specialists offered humanitarian calling operations, reconnecting affected families with loved ones through free, three-minute phone calls. With UN Foundation and Vodafone Foundation funding, WFP and TSF teams provide vital telecommunication support to the UN and other humanitarian agencies during emergencies.