Post-disaster UNEP Field Deployment

Description

In the immediate aftermath of the tsunami, on 28 December, UNEP Executive Director Klaus Toepfer created the Asian Tsunami Disaster Task Force, which was charged with responsability for assisting governments to assess and respond to the environmental impacts of the tsunami. In response to requests from governments, UNEP immediately deployed experts to Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand an the Maldives, and later to the Seychelles and Yemen. These teams have remained in the region to conduct and facilitate rapid assessments and help coordinate environmental recovery programmes in partnership with national authorities, UN colleagues and the international community.