BY BEN BILUA
Gizo
A NEW humanitarian assessment has highlighted the need for continued awareness and stronger community engagement in areas affected by Category 5 Tropical Cyclone Maila, warning that many people remain unaware of the support and complaint mechanisms available to them.
The findings are contained in the July 2026 Accountability to Affected People (AAP) Report by the Pacific Humanitarian Team, which examined humanitarian responses following Tropical Cyclone Maila that affected an estimated 150,000 people across Western and Choiseul provinces.
The report compares information gathered from 14 humanitarian organizations with community-level assessments involving 595 displaced households in Western Province.
It assessed the effectiveness of information sharing, community engagement, and complaint and feedback mechanisms established during the emergency response.
According to the report, humanitarian organizations have put in place basic two-way communication systems and channels for communities to raise complaints or provide feedback.
However, it found that significant gaps remain in community awareness of these systems, with many affected people either unaware of the available mechanisms or uncertain about how their concerns are handled.
The assessment also highlighted weaknesses in ensuring complaints are consistently followed up and resolved, raising concerns about accountability throughout the humanitarian response.
Particular concern was expressed over the inclusion of marginalized groups, including persons with disabilities and people with diverse Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC), who continue to face barriers in accessing information and humanitarian services.
The report warns that without stronger community engagement and transparent communication, trust between affected communities and humanitarian agencies could decline, increasing the risk of protection issues such as sexual exploitation, abuse, corruption, and other forms of misconduct.
To address these concerns, the Pacific Humanitarian Team recommends expanding communication through trusted channels, particularly community radio, which remains one of the most accessible and reliable sources of information in remote communities.
It also calls for standardized feedback systems to ensure complaints are acknowledged, tracked, and responded to in a timely and transparent manner.
In addition, the report recommends regular refresher training on Accountability to Affected People and protection principles for humanitarian workers to strengthen community engagement and improve the quality of future emergency responses.
The report concludes that sustained awareness efforts and stronger accountability measures will be essential to maintain community confidence and ensure humanitarian assistance reaches all affected people fairly and safely as recovery from Cyclone Maila continues.
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