Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF) crews of IT and telecoms specialists can intervene anywhere in the world in less than 24 hours after any sudden onset disaster or conflict, and in a matter of minutes, set up a satellite-based telecoms centre offering broadband Internet, phone and fax lines. Now they providing assistance following the devastating courses of hurricanes Gustav and Hanna in the Caribbean. TSF deployed a team of emergency telecommunications specialist to Haiti on Wednesday. They departed from TSF Americas base in Managua, Nicaragua to arrive in Gonaïves, a city in the North seriously affected by the heavy rains and winds of the successive hurricanes.

In some parts of Gonaïves, water reached over three meters and telecommunications have been seriously damaged. Compounded with the impact of hurricane Gustav, initial estimates of local authorities indicate that 153,000 families (650,000 people) might be affected across the country. Storms have killed more than 100 people in Haiti in the last three weeks.

This was a double whammy of sorts as Hispaniola was first drenched by Tropical Storm Fay, before Hurricane Gustav dumped torrential rainfall over heavily deforested and hilly terrain causing floods and mudslides.

A second team will leave on Thursday from TSF’s headquarters in France to strengthen the organizations operations. TSF’s telecoms specialists are carrying mobile satellite data transmitters, phone and fax lines and all the necessary IT equipment to install Emergency Communication Centres.

TSF is deploying at the request of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to support the United Nations UNDAC teams in charge of conducting initial assessments and coordinating humanitarian aid. TSF can install satellite-based Internet connections and phone lines within minutes so that UNDAC members can communicate right from the disaster zones where local telecommunications have been cut off. Depending on needs, TSF could also run humanitarian calling operations to offer affected families to give news to their loved ones either in the country or abroad.

This is the fourth time in as many years TSF has responded to hurricanes on the island of Hispaniola. Last November, TSF deployed to support the United Nations assessment teams in Santo Domingo after Tropical Storm Noel.

TSF’s mission is supported by the Vodafone Group Foundation, the United Nations Foundation, Inmarsat, Eutelsat, Vizada, A&T, Cable & Wireless and the Regional Council of Aquitaine. The situation is likely to worsen in coming days, as following in Hanna's path across the Atlantic is Tropical Storm Ike which is projected to hit the Bahamas on Sunday as a hurricane and Tropical Storm Josephine.