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Satnews Daily
January 4th, 2018

The UN International Organization for Migration Aids Refugees with TAC-PAK Videoconferencing Systems



TACPAK Videoconferencing flyaway kit supports UN IOM
refugee mission

Horrible situations of abuse and murder in the Central African Republic has motivated the United Nations International Organization for Migration(IOM) agency to help change and assist those victims of the civil war.

The humanitarian crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR) has received plenty of media attention in recent years. Since civil war broke out in CAR 115,000 Chad refugees have been displaced in the remote region, countless people have been killed and many more have been the victims of rape and other forms of abuse. The situation in Chad would be worse were it not for the tireless peacekeeping work of the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) agency that is providing basic facilities such as temporary shelters, water and sanitation facilities, health centers, schools, children-friendly spaces, as well as vouchers for their food subsistence. 

The IOM recognized the need for more communications resources in the remote communications sterile refugee camps and selected the 308 SYSTEMS TAC-PAK videoconferencing kits for deployment to multiple refugee sites.  These "mobile command in a box" systems, manufactured by 308 Systems in Fort Collins, Colorado, are custom-configured to meet specific IOM Chad mission field communication requirements.

IOM Chief of Mission in Chad, Sufi Qasim said that life in transit and temporary sites is never easy. Rains make it even more difficult. The emergency response that they have provided cannot solve the problem. Management of sites must be improved,.


TACPAK videoconferencing kit with solar panel

Following the massive influx from CAR into Chad, the Humanitarian Coordinator (HC) on behalf of the Humanitarian Country Team decided to reactivate the Shelter/Camp Coordination Camp Management (CCCM) cluster that is led by UNHCR and co-led by IOM. The aim is to provide technical support for the management of both transit and temporary sites as well as to advocate for durable solutions for the displaced persons in the sites in the long run.

The IOM's TAC-PAK videoconferencing flyaway kit deployment addressed the shortfall of voice and data infrastructure and equipment experienced by the IOM teams on a daily basis in the remote refugee camps.

Deploying the TAC-PAK mobile command systems, the United Nations has been able to create a satellite and cellular communications based continent-wide wireless network that enables Shelter/CCCM cluster teams to coordinate, share information and request support.  The TAC-PAK's have created an invaluable and fast communications infrastructure where there once was none.