Overview:
Palau has launched a $10 million U.S.-funded initiative to upgrade 14 emergency centers, establish 10 disaster supply warehouses and strengthen community preparedness. The three-year COFA Ready program aims to help communities respond more effectively to disasters and recover faster.
By Elilai Rengiil
KOROR, Palau (Nov. 4, 2026) – Palau launched the $10 million, U.S.-funded COFA Ready initiative on November 3 to strengthen emergency centers, expand disaster supply storage, and improve the country’s ability to respond to and recover from disasters.
The three-year program, running from October 2026 through September 2029, was launched at the Palau Pacific Resort. It will support nationally developed priorities for disaster preparedness and response.
Key projects include upgrading 14 emergency centers to meet multi-hazard standards and equipping them with water, sanitation and hygiene services.
The program will also establish 10 new containerized warehouses stocked with essential disaster supplies, provide shelter management training, and strengthen Palau Red Cross Disaster Action Teams (RDAT).
Additionally, a disaster risk management information system will be developed to improve coordination and information sharing.
National Emergency Management Office (NEMO) Executive Director Waymine Towai said warehouses for the Southwest Islands were the highest priority and would require the most funding.
“The highest on our priority list, that will cost the most money, will be the warehouses for the Southwest Islands,” Towai said.
NEMO is working with state governors on warehouse locations along the west and east coasts and on outlying islands. Towai said some states, including Ngaraard and Ngchesar, already have completed warehouses. New facilities will serve states that do not yet have them.
NEMO, state governments, and RDATs will jointly maintain the warehouse stocks. State governments will be responsible for distributing supplies under guidelines provided to them, Towai said.
President Surangel Whipps Jr. said the initiative would give communities the tools, infrastructure and skills to respond to disasters, but stressed that preparedness requires continued work after facilities are built and supplies delivered.
“Those facilities must be maintained. Those stockpiles must be kept in working order and emergency drills should be conducted regularly,” Whipps said.
He described disaster readiness as a shared responsibility involving national agencies, state governments, community leaders, and local responders.
“We can’t stop every storm, and we can’t prevent every natural disaster. But we can diminish the danger, we can eliminate complacency, and we can ensure that our people are ready,” he said.
U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Shenkar Rao said the COFA Ready initiative would also support cross-border disaster drills with the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands.
Sharing resources and information would help the region prepare for disasters that affect more than one country, he said. Rao said the initiative would bring experts to Palau to work alongside the U.S. and Palau governments to deliver the program.
The initiative’s success will depend on continued cooperation among national agencies, state governments, and local responders to maintain facilities, replenish supplies, and keep communities ready for disasters.