KOROR, Palau -- U.S. Pacific Fleet’s annual humanitarian assistance mission Pacific Partnership 21 concluded in Palau as U.S. Pacific Fleet and the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (CFE-DM) co-hosted a humanitarian assistance/disaster relief (HADR) workshop Aug. 10-12, with Taiwan disaster management experts.

Now in its 16th iteration, Pacific Partnership brings host nations and partners together to prepare during calm periods to effectively respond in times of crisis, throughout the Indo-Pacific. During the HADR workshop, participants from the U.S., Palau and Taiwan shared experiences and lessons learned to identify best practices followed by various organizations and countries.

“This event focused on facilitating knowledge exchange between Palau, Taiwan and the U.S. on issues of concern, thus empowering our partners to improve their infrastructure and ability to respond to disaster emergencies,” said director of the CFE-DM, Joseph Martin. “Pacific Partnership acknowledges the complexity of disaster response operations and the role of civilian organizations as leaders in such operations.”

The workshop kicked off with opening remarks from the President of the Republic of Palau, Surangel Whipps Jr. Throughout the week, lectures and expert exchanges focused on early warning response, search and rescue, interagency coordination and enhancing telecommunication systems in times of crisis. Additionally, a case study was analyzed on information-based emergency operations in Taiwan, which highlighted best practices of Taiwan emergency operations systems for typhoons, earthquakes and droughts.

“We can really learn from sharing our experiences and capacity building,” said Vice President of the Republic of Palau, J. Uduch Sengebau Senior. “This is essential for us to survive disasters and save lives in our community.”

The workshop leveraged U.S., Palau and Taiwan’s HADR expertise to develop mutual understanding and build capacity in Palau’s resiliency and disaster preparedness. It brought partners together who face common threats and demonstrated cooperation and collaboration.

Pacific Partnership’s mission is to work collectively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase stability and security in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships across the Indo-Pacific. Taiwan was invited to participate due to their expertise in HADR, which is a key line of effort for Pacific Partnership’s mission.

Under Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific, CFE-DM is a DoD organization comprised of nearly 30 subject matter experts that provide academic research, civil-military coordination training, and operational insights to support decision making before, during, and after crises.