SYDNEY — A new rapid response initiative for humanitarian aid and disaster relief in the Pacific stands to increase coordination and improve efficiency by reducing the chance that aid is delivered haphazardly, officials and experts say.
The Pacific Response Group (PRG), an initiative endorsed by regional defense ministers, brings together military personnel from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, France, Tonga, Papua New Guinea and Chile in the region. It will only become operational when requests are made from affected Pacific Island countries.