Disasters, Conflicts and Migration 

Natural Disasters
Type	Occurs	Comments / Details
Drought	Yes	In 1997-1998, a severe drought hit the Marshall Islands, which lasted for over a year. The drought was caused by the El Niño weather pattern, which led to significantly reduced rainfall. The impact was devastating, with widespread crop failure, water shortages, and food insecurity. Some islands even had to be evacuated due to the lack of freshwater. The damage was estimated at US$25 million.  In 2013-2014, the Marshall Islands experienced another severe drought that lasted for over a year. The drought was caused by a combination of factors, including El Niño and climate change-induced changes in rainfall patterns. The impact was severe, with widespread crop failure, water shortages, and increased food prices. Depletion of wells and water catchments, salinization of ground water and insufficient desalinization capacity left an estimated 5,000 people without enough drinking water or adequate food. The damage was estimated at US$15 million.  In 2015, a similar drought event affected the northern and central island groups.  In 2022, a drought affected Aur, Ailinglaplap, Ailuk, Jabot, Jaluit, Lae, Lib, Likiep, Maloelap, Mejit, Mejjato/Ebadon, Namdrik, Namu, Utrok, Ujae, Wotho, Wotje
Earthquakes	No	n/a
Epidemics	Yes	Hepatitis A, Mumps Periodic outbreaks  2000: Cholera outbreak in Ebeye, Kwajalein Atoll and Lae Atoll  2015-2016: Zika in Majuro  2015: Chikungunya Outbreak in Majuro and outer islands  2019-2020: Dengue fever
Extreme Temperatures	No	n/a
Flooding	Yes	Localised flooding from heavy rain, high tides, storm surges and rogue waves.  In 2014, the Marshall Islands experienced severe flooding, particularly on the island of Majuro. The flooding was caused by a combination of high tides, storm surges, and heavy rainfall. The impact was severe, with widespread damage to infrastructure and homes, and significant economic losses. The damage was estimated at US$12 million.  In 2021, the Marshall Islands experienced severe flooding once again, particularly on the island of Ebeye. The flooding was caused by a combination of high tides, storm surges, and heavy rainfall. The impact was severe, with widespread damage to homes and infrastructure, and significant economic losses. The damage has not been fully assessed yet, but it is expected to be significant.
Typhoon	Yes	1991 Tropical Cyclone Zelda Category 1  Formed: November 27, 1991  Dissipated: December 7, 1991  Highest winds: 10-minute sustained: 110 km/h (70 mph)  1-minute sustained: 150 km/h (90 mph)  Lowest pressure: 975 hPa (mbar); 28.79 inHg  Fatalities: None  Areas affected: Marshall Islands  1997 Typhoon Paka Category 5  Formed: November 28, 1997  Dissipated: December 23, 1997  Highest winds: 10-minute sustained: 185 km/h (115 mph)  1-minute sustained: 295 km/h (185 mph)  Lowest pressure: 920 hPa (mbar); 27.17 inHg  Fatalities: None, reported Damage $580 millio  Areas affected: Marshall Islands, Guam, Mariana Island.  2015 Cyclone Nangka Category 4  Formed: July 2, 2015  Dissipated: July 18, 2015  Highest Winds: 10-minute sustained: 185 km/h (115 mph)  1-minute sustained: 250 km/h (155 mph)  Lowest pressure: 925 hPa (mbar); 27.32 inHg  Fatalities: 2 confirmed  Damage: US$200 million   Areas affected: Marshall Islands, Mariana Islands, Japan
Insect Infestation	Yes	Pests and diseases, nearly all of which are exotic to the Marshall Islands, cause significant losses to agriculture. The most serious of these include insect pests such as the breadfruit mealybug, coconut scale and spiralling whitefly, which cause severe damage to many food crops and seriously affect crop productivity and overall food security.
Mudslides	No	n/a
Volcanic Eruptions	No	n/a
High Waves / Surges	Yes	Tsunami affected Majuro in 1915   During high wind, storm or cyclone events storm surges typically inundate low laying areas.  Mar 2014: King tides/storm surge (Majuro and Arno Atoll)  2015 Tropical Storm Bavi  Formed: March 10, 2015  Dissipated: March 21, 2015  Highest winds: 10-minute sustained: 85 km/h (50 mph)  1-minute sustained: 95 km/h (60 mph)  Lowest pressure: 990 hPa (mbar); 29.23 inHg  Damage: $2.25 million   Areas affected: Marshall Islands, Mariana Islands, Philippines  Jul 2015: Tropical Storm Nankga (Majuro)  Jan 2018: King tides (Majuro and outer islands)  Mar 2018: Tropical Storm Bavi (Ujae Atoll, Kwajalein, Ebeye)
Wildfires	No	n/a
High Winds	Yes
Man-Made Issues
Civil Strife	No	n/a
International Conflict	No	n/a
Internally Displaced Persons	Yes	Permanently displaced people from Bikini Atoll have been resettled in Kili, Ebeye and Majuro because of the nuclear testing carried out in the Bikini Atoll.
Refugees Present	No	n/a
Landmines / UXO Present	No	n/a

 

The below map shows the areas vulnerable to droughts and population figures.

For a more detailed database on disasters by country, please see the Centre for Research on Epidemiology of Disasters.

Seasonal Effects on Logistics Capacity 

Seasonal Effects on Transport
Transport Type		Time Frame	Comments / Details
Primary Road Transport		November-April	Cyclone season can affect island roads and restrict travel between islands. During the cyclone season high winds associated with high seas and especially king tides can affect road access and cause damage to infrastructure and make roads impassable.
Air Transport		November- April	Strom and cyclone season affects scheduled flights.
Waterway/ Inter- Island Transport		November-April	Inter-island transport from Majuro forms the critical supply link to the outer islands. During the storm season, April to November, inter-island transport is affected by high seas which will delay deliveries, especially to islands that are not part of a larger atoll i.e. Kili island. All other atolls having a lagoon can, in almost all cases, receive vessels for resupply.
Seasonal Effects on Storage and Handling
Activity Type	Time Frame	Comments / Details
Storage	All year	The climate in RMI is hot and humid with the central and southern island receiving the most rainfall. The northern islands tend to be drier. In general climate does not severely affect the storage of goods, however climate-controlled facilities may be required for sensitive products.
Handling	November-April	High tide and heavy winds can cause issues with interisland transport and handling. Rain can cause interruptions and delays in handling operations, especially in exposed dock areas.

Capacity and Contacts for In-Country Emergency Response 

GOVERNMENT

The 2019 National Disaster Risk Management Arrangement (NDRMA) is the guiding document regarding RMI's disaster management. The National Disaster Committee (NDC) is the designated lead body for implementing the NDRMA. Being directly accountable to the Cabinet, the NDC is responsible for the provision of technical advice and resource support to facilitate the implementation of disaster management programmes and for ensuring that an adequate and reliable disaster control and coordination mechanism is in place to carry out humanitarian response. The primary office accountable for the disaster management activities is the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO). The country operates an eight-cluster system called the National RMI Clusters or National Emergency Operations Center members (NEOC members) which is coordinated by the NDMO:  

Source: NDMO RMI 

National Disaster Committee (NDC) 

The National Disaster Committee (NDC) was established under the 1987 Disaster Assistance Act. The duties of the Committee are summarised in the following extract from the Act: 

• Mitigating the effects of any disasters and in the event of disaster shall be responsible for directing the conduct of disaster response operations. 

• Monitoring and reviewing national disaster risk management arrangements across the DRM continuum 

• Maintaining compliance with the Disaster Assistance Act 1997 

At times of national emergency or disaster, the National Disaster Committee is to be convened by the Chair the NDC the Chief Secretary or in the absence of the Chair, the Deputy Chief Secretary. Under normal conditions, the NDC meets on a quarterly basis to assess, review and if necessary, endorse projects, programs and activities within the scope of the NDRMA. The NDC may meet at any other time as necessary. 

The membership of the NDC includes: 

• Chief Secretary – (Chairperson) 

• Secretary of Works, Infrastructure and Utilities 

• Secretary of Transportation, Communications and Information Technology 

• Secretary of Natural Resources and Commerce 

• Secretary of Health Services and Human Services 

• Secretary of Culture and Internal Affairs 

• Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade 

• Secretary of Finance, Banking and Postal Services 

• Attorney General 

• Director of Office of Environmental Planning and Policy Coordination 

• Director of Economic Policy Planning and Statistics Office 

• Commissioner for Public School System 

• National Police Commissioner 

• General Manager of Air Marshall Islands 

• General Manager of National Telecommunications Authority 

• General Manager of Marshall Islands Shipping Corporation 

• Director of RMI Ports Authority 

• Representative from the Private Sector 

• Representative from the NGO’s 

• The NDMO and Weather Service are permanent Technical Advisors to the NDC and may be called upon when required. 

In addition to the ‘standing members’ listed above, the Minister may appoint representatives of other organisations, either for specific issues for a specific time, or for an indefinite period, or in the role of observers. 

National Disaster Management Organisation (NDMO) 

The NDMO is responsible for disaster risk management activities in line with government policy, legislative requirements and the strategic priorities of the NDC. 

The NDMO is responsible for: 

• Representing RMI at regional and international disaster related forums 

• Coordinating the implementation of the NDRMA 

• Monitoring subsequent changes and updates of NDRMA through version control procedures 

• Functioning as the liaison point for all disaster related activities with regional and international agencies 

• Providing administrative and secretariat support to the NDC. 

• Developing and maintaining effective relationships with relevant regional bodies to ensure synergies between national, regional and international DRM programmes. 

• Conducting annual audit and report to the NDC on the testing and reviewing of plans supporting the NDRMA 

• Providing technical support for all DRM related training design and development 

• Providing technical assistance in developing and conducting exercise management programs  

• Conducting annual audit on ministry, department and agency DRM resources, developing an annual report for submission to the NDC. 

• Providing technical assistance to all ministries, local governments, departments, and agencies 

• Providing technical support in the development of public awareness information and programmes 

Maintaining the National Emergency Operations Centre in a state of operational readiness, including the facilitation of training and exercises, post-disaster and post-exercise debriefs and preparing reports for the NDC highlighting critical areas for improvement. 

Military assets based in Kwajalein have been used in the past with responses to the Ebeye and the Kwajalein Atoll. The involvement of the USAG is at the current time limited to this. However, there may be a possibility with further communication that USAG could assist in a greater capacity if mechanisms and arrangements are put in place well beforehand. 

For more information on government contact details, please see the following link: 4.1 Government Contact List 

HUMARITARIAN COMMUNITY

The legacy of U.S nuclear testing in RMI has adversely affected human security, public health, and environmental safety and caused the loss of customary land and cultural heritage. RMI is highly urbanised with around three quarters of the country’s 58,791 people (World Bank, 2019) resident in the two urban centres of the capital Majuro and Ebeye, the most densely populated island in the Pacific.  

There is incomplete analysis of hardship, but basic needs poverty and hunger is rising. The young urban poor are among the most marginalised with dependence on the cash economy, but fewer social welfare protections. RMI is heavily reliant on external assistance, with grants averaging 60% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). RMI’s rapid population growth and the contamination of its natural environment have made subsistence farming and fishing unviable for the vast majority of Marshallese.  

United Nations 

The UN has been present in RMI since 1984, with 11 agencies implementing programs: IOM, ILO, UNDP, UNESCAP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNISDR, UNOCHA, UNODC, UN Women and WHO. In March 2023, the UN Resident Coordinator Office based in Micronesia appointed a Country Coordination Officer in RMI to support and coordinate the United Nation Joint presence mission in Majuro.  

Marshall Islands Red Cross Society 

The Red Cross established an office in Majuro in 2013. An active and important partner of the Government in national Disaster Risk Management programes with an established and active volunteer arm, delivering first aid training to a wide range of organisations and communities. Red Cross established an independent radio network throughout the outer islands.  

Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) 

There are several smaller Local NGOs providing support to who are strongly supported through local church and women’s groups. Non-Government Organizations play a key role in supporting disaster risk reduction and disaster management activities. Their close links with communities are of particular value in public awareness and education programmes relating to both risk reduction and disaster management and they can provide support to the successful implementation of the priorities of the NDC. For example, Women United Together for the Marshall Islands has links to 23 of the 24 outer island/atolls; working closely with community groups and plays a key role in several areas of community preparedness including the retention of traditional knowledge. 

For more information on humanitarian agency contact details, please see the following link: 4.2 Humanitarian Agency Contact List  

Private Sector 

The private sector can provide capacities and resources to support disaster risk reduction and disaster management programs and should be treated as stakeholders in disaster preparedness, response and recovery. The private sector is part of the community in a disaster risk management context; business continuity is a major factor in the post disaster period with many businesses providing essential services which are critical in early recovery stage. The development of protocols to formalise the relationship between government and the private sector are therefore essential. 

For more information on private sector contact details, please see the following link: 4. Contact Lists 

 

The RMI Customs division falls under the Ministry of Finance, it is based in Majuro and, it is part of the Division of Customs, Treasury, Revenue and Taxation. Customs Officers rotate between the airports, ports and other entities handling import/export operations such as post offices and commercial entities, for example PII (representative of DHL in RMI) and Stevedore Company (MSTCO) offices.  

Duties and Tax Exemption 

Emergency Response: 

NDMO is the focal point for any emergency response activities. All goods designated for use for humanitarian purposes during time of emergency are subject to tax and import duty exemption, which can be validated through NDMO. 

When there is a declaration of an emergency, organisations wishing to import relief supplies into RMI are required to go through the NDMO to obtain a tax exemption letter for goods being imported. There is no requirement for an organisation responding to an emergency to be registered unless they intend to establish a permanent presence in country. The process to obtain a tax and duty exemption requires the organisation to provide standard customs import documentation along with an official letter of request for tax exemption from the organisation to the Director of the NDMO.  

The following table provides an overview of customs-related agreements and conventions in RMI: 

Agreements / Conventions Description	Ratified by Country?
WCO (World Customs Organization) member	No
Annex J-5 Revised Kyoto Convention	No (application submitted)
OCHA Model Agreement	No
Tampere Convention (on the Provision of Telecommunication Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations)	No
Regional Agreements (on emergency/disaster response, but also customs unions, regional integration)	US Compact of Association  Oceania Customs Organization (OCO) Secretariat

Exemption Regular Regime (Non-Emergency Response) 

While duties and taxes apply to imported goods, humanitarian organizations such as UN, INGOs and religious groups can import goods tax free. Organizations wishing to maintain a permanent presence are required to be registered with the Attorney General’s office in the Department of Justice. Once registered, duty and tax exemption status is granted.  

As per the Import Duties Act 1989, there are several goods which are tax exempt under the current import duties regulations. These include energy efficient equipment, solar-powered equipment, renewable energy equipment imported for the purpose of power generation, fishing equipment, as well as goods in transit to other international destinations.  

For all other imports, there is a uniform tax rate of eight per cent (8%) rate except for the following goods where a special rate is applied: 

Category of Goods	Tax rate
1. Foodstuffs	5%
2. Gasoline	0.25 cents per gallon
3. Jet A-1	0.08 cents per gallon
4. Diesel	0.08 cents per gallon
5. Motor Vehicles (whose values can be determined in the Kelly’s Blue Book or of accompanying invoice, whichever is higher, provided that in no case shall the duty assessed be less than $1,500.00.	15%
6. Motor Vehicles (whose value cannot be determined in the Kelly’s Blue Book	New Motor Vehicles - US$2,500.00 Used Motor Vehicles - US$1,500.00
7. Public Transport	5%
8. Tobacco, and cigarettes	US$1.00 per pack of 20 rolls
9. Cigars	151%
10. Other tobacco (Copenhagen)	US$2.75 per 34.2 grams or 1.2 oz
11. Beer	US$0.35 cents per can or 12 oz. unit
12. Wine	US$2.75 per gallon
13. Spirits	US$15.00 per gallon
14. Mixed drink	26%
15. Soft drinks - carbonated beverages  Non-carbonated and artificially flavoured beverages	0.01666 per 1 oz.  10%

As per the Animal and Plant Inspection Act from 1966, all animals and plants or parts thereof, including seeds, fruits, vegetables, cuttings, etc., entering or transported within RMI are subject to inspection by agricultural quarantine inspectors and may be refused entry into or movement within the Republic if they are known to be, or are suspected of being, infected or infested with disease or pests.  

Exemption Certificate Application Procedure (Emergency Response) 

Non-registered organizations, without permanent presence in RMI, responding to an emergency can apply for tax and duty exemption on a consignment basis through the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) who will then facilitate a tax exemption letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. See details below. 

Duties and Taxes Exemption Application Procedure
Generalities
Standard shipping documentation is required along with a Letter of Exemption Request from the organisation importing the goods.
Process to be followed
Before goods arrive:  Obtain: Bill of Lading/Air waybill, Commercial Invoice, Packing list, Phytosanitary certificate (if applicable)  Prepare a letter of request for tax exemption addressed to NDMO in Majuro  Submit all Documentation to NDMO for consideration  NDMO confirmation about tax exemption being endorsed  Present the endorsed letter of exemption with other documentation to the shipping agent for goods clearance

Exemption Certificate Document Requirements 

Duties and Taxes Exemption Certificate Document Requirements (by commodity)
	Food	NFI (Shelter, WASH, Education)	Medicines	Vehicle & Spare Parts	Staff & Office Supplies	Telecommunications Equipment
Other Documents			Depending on type of medicine being imported	May need special permission depending on whether vehicle is donated		Depending on equipment. VHF/HF will require registration with NTA. Satellite phones not prohibited
Invoice	Yes
AWB/BL/Other Transport Documents	Yes: 1 x original + 2 copies
Donation/Non-Commercial Certificates	Endorsed Letter of request for tax exemption: 1x original
Packing Lists	Yes
Additional Notes	It is advisable to have several copies of all documentation.

Customs Clearance 

 General Information 

Customs Information
Document Requirements	All documentation as listed above will be required by NDMO. Once received, the NDMO will advise on customs process and duty exemption status. This is undertaken on a shipment-by-shipment basis based on the waybill.
Embargoes	None known
Prohibited Items	Recreational drugs, Firearms (require import license)
General Restrictions	There are no general restrictions other than listed above under “Exemption Regular Regime (Non-Emergency Response)” section

Customs Clearance Document Requirements 

Customs Clearance Document Requirements (by commodity)
	Food	NFI (Shelter, WASH, Education)	Medicines	Vehicles & Spare Parts	Staff & Office Supplies	Telecoms Equipment
Phytosanitary Certificate	Depending on type of food	No	No	No	No	No
D&T Exemption Certificate	Yes original 1 x original 2 copies
Invoice	Yes original 1 x original 2 copies
AWB/BL/Other Transport Documents	Yes original 1 x original 2 copies
Donation/Non-Commercial Certificates	Letter of exemption
Packing Lists	Yes: 1 copy

Transit Regime 

Goods that are in transit from a place outside the Republic to another place outside the Republic are subject to the control of Customs and are not subject to import duty.