On July 30, a magnitude-8.8 earthquake struck off the eastern coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia, resulting in tsunami alerts being issued across the Pacific.
While the tsunami never arrived, it was a timely reminder that disaster events are common throughout the Pacific region.
They can also arrive with little notice.
Just a few days later, representatives from a number of Pacific nations came together for the third annual Regional Exercise Longreach in Nukuʻalofa, Tonga.
The humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercise held between August 4 and 7 brought military forces, non-government organisations and civilian agencies together to sharpen the region's disaster response capabilities.
An initiative of the South Pacific Defence Ministers' Meeting, the exercise focuses on strengthening regional partnerships and refining strategies to address the challenges posed by natural disasters.
The exercise was based on a simulated Category 5 tropical cyclone event that affected Tongatapu, Ha'apai and 'Eua, aiming to ensure Pacific nations are better prepared to respond quickly and effectively when disasters strike.
This year's program included a one-day plenary session and a three-day tabletop exercise.
Participants tackled complex challenges such as coordinating multi-agency responses, managing logistics in remote areas and using faith-based networks to communicate and distribute humanitarian aid.
'It is really important that host nations understand the types of support that Australia and other Pacific countries can provide if their assistance is requested to help respond to a significant event.'
The tabletop exercise also considered the integration of the Pacific Response Group into the simulated response.
Delegates from across the Pacific, including representatives from Fiji, New Zealand, France, Papua New Guinea and Australia, as well as the United Kingdom and the United States, joined their Tongan counterparts for the event.
The diverse group brought expertise in areas such as emergency management, defence, policing, religion and humanitarian aid.
Lead Planner for Regional Exercise Longreach Major Paul Randall, of Headquarters 1st (Australian) Division, highlighted how valuable it was for participants to develop a strong understanding of the systems and capabilities of the various Pacific nations, non-government organisations and religious groups in the region.
He also noted how these systems and capabilities can be harnessed to respond to a major disaster event.
"It is really important that host nations understand the types of support that Australia and other Pacific countries can provide if their assistance is requested to help respond to a significant event," Major Randall said.
"Representatives from the Pacific Response Group, the Pacific Police Support Group and the Pacific Defence Faith Network were all on hand to provide an insight into their unique functions and capabilities.
"It was equally important for partner nations to gain an appreciation of local disaster response procedures and requirements to ensure they can appropriately coordinate with, and support, local systems during a disaster.
"We also had representatives from the International Red Cross, the local Red Cross, the United Nations, as well as members of the Tongan Ministry of Health, Fire and Emergency Services, Police force and the National Disaster Risk Management Office of both Tonga and Fiji on hand to share their unique perspectives.
"The planning that occurs during Exercise Longreach enables Pacific partner nations to strengthen collaboration and enhance their coordinated preparedness so they can rapidly respond to major disasters and emergencies."
'We're able to sit down together at one table and work on how we're able to coordinate a better disaster preparedness response.'
The exercise also served as a platform for building stronger relationships among Pacific nations and key international partners.
Principal Logistics Officer with the Tongan National Disaster Management Office Lazarus Vaipulu welcomed the opportunity to bring these organisations together to plan and understand what each nation needed and how they could assist one another.
"This is a very important exercise for us because we're able to bring together not only our national partners but also our local and our development partners," Mr Vaipulu said.
"Collaboration is key, especially in terms of preparedness for an event, because we're able to build key strategic partnerships and relationships with our foreign and donor partners.
"We're able to sit down together at one table and work on how we're able to coordinate a better disaster preparedness response."
By fostering trust and collaboration, Regional Exercise Longreach enhanced the region's ability to respond to disasters in a coordinated and effective manner.
While the exercise concluded in August, participants are already looking ahead to the next iteration, with a shared commitment to improving disaster resilience and safeguarding communities across the Pacific.
