International Organization for Migration - Micronesia

A FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency engineer who arrived in Weno yesterday has been working alongside Chuuk DCO, FSM DECEM, IOM, and partners from the U.S. State Department to assess the impact of and support recovery planning for affected communities. Through ongoing coordination and discussions, the team is helping identify practical solutions to support recovery efforts across impacted areas👏.

🏨 Today, the team visited public facilities affected by the storm and toured IOM’s warehouse in Weno, where relief supplies and recovery materials supported by the 🇺🇸U.S. Government are being stockpiled for response efforts.

Community visits are planned in the coming days as assessments and recovery support continue. In the meantime, our warehouse teams are preparing shelter and non-food item kits for distribution🙌.

We were pleased to welcome the 🇮🇪Ambassador of Ireland to the Philippines, Emma Hickey, who was recently accredited to the 🇫🇲FSM, to our office in today. The visit provided an opportunity to discuss the significant impacts of across Chuuk and to identify the most pressing needs facing affected communities in the state.

The Ambassador expressed her interest in gaining a deeper understanding of IOM’s operations in the FSM and how Ireland can support potential gaps in the community. The meeting further highlighted the importance of strengthening collaboration to address ongoing recovery challenges🤝🌏.

Following the destruction caused by , young local UN Volunteers like Izzy Rochon have stepped up to support relief efforts, from conducting damage assessments to mobilizing supplies and delivering relief to affected communities✨.

As they gain valuable hands-on experience along the way, their commitment is helping bring hope and support to families recovering from the disaster 💙.

🌊🏣 In the aftermath of , communities across Chuuk continue to recover from severe damage to schools, health dispensaries, government offices, power systems, churches, and community halls. For many families, this has meant disrupted education, limited access to healthcare, and interrupted public services, compounding existing vulnerabilities.

At Berea Christian School in Weno, teachers like Mr. William Bisalen Jr. and community members came together soon after the storm to clear debris and resume classes. Yet parts of the school remain heavily damaged, reflecting the wider challenges communities across Chuuk still face.

Recovery is ongoing, but continued support is still needed to restore safe schools, essential services, and community infrastructure for those most affected.

📣VACANCY EXTENSION

The vacancy below has been extended to June 9❗️ Apply now and be a part of our team in the 🇲🇭Marshalls.

📣 IOM North Pacific is Hiring.
Apply now and join our team in 📍the Marshall Islands 🇲🇭.

✅ SENIOR PROTECTION CASEWORK ASSOCIATE to support assisted voluntary returns.
⏰ Closing date: 14 May 2026
👉 Click here for more details on the vacancy: https://bit.ly/48tcj14

Please note IOM only accepts duly completed applications submitted through the IOM online recruitment system. The online tool also allows candidates to track the status of their application.

🩺🏥 Strengthening Medical Emergency Response in Palau

When disaster strikes, we’re reminded of the critical need for investing in readiness.

Last week in 🇵🇼 Koror, Palau, we hosted a five-day Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Instructor Training and Refresher Course aimed at providing a recap of essential emergency medicine skills and techniques. The refresher training enhanced the capacities of Palau’s Fire and Rescue, Emergency Medical Technicians , Aircraft Rescue, and other first responders in:

🫁 Airway management
🧡 Bleeding control & shock management
🩻 Spinal immobilization & fracture care
😮‍💨 CPR & AED use for all ages
🤱 Childbirth management

🧑‍⚕️ By investing in competencies of frontline responders, together, we ensure better preparedness during emergencies and a safer, more resilient Palau.

This initiative is made possible through the support of the 🇺🇸U.S. Government and in partnership with Palau NEMO , reflecting our shared commitment to health security and emergency preparedness in Palau.

Across 🌴Chuuk Lagoon, Weno and the Mortlocks and Northwest Regions, thousands of families continue to face shelter challenges following Typhoon Sinlaku. Initial assessments indicate that more than 13,000 people were displaced across 42 islands, with many homes heavily damaged or destroyed like that of Kasinta’s.

🔅While some families have made temporary repairs using salvaged materials, significant shelter needs remain as communities work toward safer and longer-term recovery solutions.

🌏 Yesterday, IOM hosted a workshop bringing together government partners, civil society organizations, and community stakeholders to discuss climate mobility and planned relocation in 🇵🇼Palau. The workshop provided an opportunity to reflect on key project outcomes and lessons that will help shape future approaches to climate-related relocation and community resilience.

Key highlights included:
🔹 Lessons Learned Study capturing Palau’s earliest steps in climate-related relocation after Typhoon Bopha (2012) in Melekeok and Ngiwal States, providing critical evidence for future national policy.
🔹 Civil Society Mapping and Capacity Needs Assessment of 18 organizations at national and state levels, identifying capacity needs and where CSOs can play meaningful roles in climate mobility and planned relocation.
🔹 Community Focus Group where communities facing coastal risks reflected their first-hand experiences, helping ensure future climate mobility planning remains grounded in lived experiences and community voices.

While the Pacific Climate Change, Migration and Human Security ( ) Phase II, funded by the UN Trust Fund for Human Security and New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s, is coming to a close, 📈Phase III is expected to begin in the coming months as the project moves from policy and planning into practice👏.

A sincere thank you to all partners and participants for your valuable insights, collaboration, and commitment throughout this program. 🤝 Your contributions are helping strengthen climate mobility planning and capacity to support communities across Palau.

Thanks also to our implanting partners Pacific Islands Forum, UN Human Rights - Asia, United Nations ESCAP, Platform on Disaster Displacement , and International Labour Organization.

🌱Following , communities across Chuuk’s lagoon islands, , the and regions are facing extensive crop damage and food security concerns with Weno and the lagoon islands most affected. 🌊Saltwater inundation has left taro crops yellowing and inedible while many banana, coconut and fruit trees were felled by the storm.

For families like Mr. Ruben’s, this has far reaching implications for household food consumption given he and his family, like many others in Chuuk’s lagoon and outer islands, rely heavily on their land for sustenance.

Supported by the 🇺🇸U.S. Government, IOM has been assisting Chuuk DCO and FSM DECEM in the delivery of emergency food assistance and is working closely with both agencies to scale up food distributions in the coming months, prioritizing the most severely affected island communities.

Even still, as the weeks following the initial shock of the typhoon progress, many are coming together to clear felled trees and replant with hopes for a healthy harvest next season🥥🌴.