Credit: MAEE

From 15-17 May 2018, Luxembourg will receive the international humanitarian community working in the field of emergency communications for the annual plenary meeting of the Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC).

ETC is a global network of organisations working together to provide communication services in humanitarian emergencies. Luxembourg, with the emergency.lu solution, has been an active member of the ETC since 2011. Within 48 hours of a disaster, the ETC provides communications services that are critical to security as well as common voice and internet services to assist the humanitarian community in its rescue missions. These means of communication allow better coordination of on-site assistance. The ETC aims to ensure that by 2020, all those who respond to humanitarian crises have access to communication services, including affected populations, transforming the delivery of aid.

On 17 May 2018, as part of the ETC's annual plenary, there will be a demonstration day of emergency telecommunication solutions, "ETC in Action", organised by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs in collaboration with the World Food Programme and ETC partners at Place d'Armes in Luxembourg City.

By simulating an earthquake, the different partners of the ETC present the means and systems of emergency communication, deployed in support of humanitarian actors, during a natural disaster or humanitarian crisis.

The Luxembourg emergency.lu solution is an integral part of this exhibition. Emergency.lu is a mobile satellite telecommunications platform whose primary objective is to restore the means of communication after a disaster, to support the coordination efforts of the humanitarian organisations on the ground and thus to contribute to saving lives in humanitarian emergencies.