The FALE Pasifika initiative, coordinated by PIANGO, aims to strengthen the leadership and capacity of local actors across the Pacific region to effectively lead humanitarian responses. In the aftermath of the 2024 earthquake in Vanuatu, Global Support for Development (GSD) provided a grant to FALE to support response activities aimed at meeting the immediate needs of affected communities.While the response was driven by strong local commitment and intent, several challenges emerged during implementation that affected the overall effectiveness and impact of the intervention.