USAID - Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance

NEWS: Swarms of locusts in Madagascar have damaged hundreds of thousands of acres of cropland this year, threatening food supplies for many families who are already food-insecure. Coming rains will likely cause locust swarms to multiply and further destroy harvests in vulnerable communities. To help, USAID is supporting trusted humanitarian partners to control the impacts of locusts while limiting further crop losses. USAID staff continue to monitor conditions on the ground and assess vulnerabilities among households in need.

Today, President Biden announced more than $1 billion in additional U.S. government humanitarian assistance to address critical needs in 31 African countries. Africa is the region with the largest percentage of the population facing hunger, and the number of people facing acute food insecurity and malnutrition continues to rise. This funding, including nearly $823 million from USAID, will support humanitarian partners providing emergency food, health care, and other lifesaving aid to support refugees and other vulnerable communities across Africa. Watch here: https://lnkd.in/eqS6fS9x

#DYK that during crises, the death rate of persons with disabilities can be 2 to 4 times higher than that of non-disabled persons? Today, on International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we reaffirm our commitment to upholding the rights and well-being of people with disabilities, especially after disasters strike. Mykhailo is 65-years-old and lives in a village in eastern Ukraine that had been invaded by Russian forces. He almost died when he was clearing branches near his house and stepped on a landmine. His son and a neighbor immediately provided first aid and rushed him to the hospital. Mykhailo thankfully survived, but then the hard work of recovery began. USAID partnered with the Dorijka Consortium led by Première Urgence Internationale to provide Mykhailo and his family with comprehensive medical care and support to gain access to social support programs. Thanks to this support, Mykhailo also regularly met with a psychologist to address the post-traumatic stress and depression stemming from this trauma. The journey hasn’t been easy, but Mykhailo shares that he is living a full life again, without losing hope for the future. #IDPD2024 #nothingwithoutus

All fires start small. But if the conditions are right, they can easily get out of control. For those that get bigger, wildfire management training can help local responders act quickly and safely to mitigate the danger they bring. With support from USAID, USDA Forest Service holds these trainings around the world – including a recent workshop in Armenia that helped train local responders in some of the best practices for wildland fire management. With this hands-on experience with equipment and strategic planning, the mid-level officers in the Armenia Rescue Service who attended the workshop can better respond to fires and reduce the impacts they may have.

This was a difficult season for hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean. But today marks the official end of the season, which began June 1. Twelve named storms formed after the season’s peak in early September, and seven hurricanes formed since September 25 — the most on record according to NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. In July, Hurricane Beryl struck St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaica, and Grenada, and USAID responded – surging support to help people impacted by the shockingly intense storm. It was the earliest Category 5 storm ever recorded in the Atlantic basin before making landfall in Jamaica. While USAID does not respond to disasters within the U.S., it’s impossible to reflect on this season without looking back at Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, both of which devastated parts of the southern U.S. – impacting friends, families, and colleagues. We’re proud that the Virginia Task Force 1 and Los Angeles County Fire Department Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams, who we call upon for disaster response overseas, also went to work in support of FEMA responding to the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. Even though Atlantic Hurricane Season is over, USAID prepares to respond to hurricanes year-round, and you can learn more about how we do that here: https://lnkd.in/edbs8vKu

Our friends at the Center for International Disaster Information have this important message for the holiday season: When donating after an international disaster strikes, remember that #CashIsBest for meeting ever-changing humanitarian needs. This helps trusted organizations operating around the world quickly deliver support where it’s needed most. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/eREwF_s8

It’s the season of gratitude, and today, we’re taking a moment to express all that we’re thankful for. #happythanksgiving2024 ! 🦃

For today’s gratitude, we thank our Response Management Teams (RMTs) whose work is at the very heart of what we do. While USAID responds to many international crises, the agency stands up RMTs in our Washington, D.C. headquarters to address especially severe and complex humanitarian emergencies. USAID currently has RMTs for our responses in Sudan, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and the Levant. These teams act as vital counterparts to our staff overseas. RMTs are central in planning USAID’s relief efforts to mobilize resources that enable our partners to reach people with lifesaving assistance. By working with our overseas staff and our partners on the ground, RMTs also provide the most up-to-date information so the public and U.S. government officials know about the latest humanitarian developments affecting the crisis. RMT staff also coordinate with other federal agencies, donor governments, international organizations, and the private sector. This coordination involves high-level engagements and advocacy to advance humanitarian priorities that help relief actors reach vulnerable populations quickly and effectively. However, our operations would cease without people, and RMTs ensure that the right staff are in the right places to keep our work going. They deploy our experts anywhere in the world and ensure they have safe, secure accommodations upon arrival. RMTs also lead on logistics to keep supply chains flowing to get lifesaving goods and services to people impacted by crisis. A big thanks to our RMTs for their dedication and tenacity in taking on the most complex humanitarian challenges.

Our week of gratitude continues as we give thanks to our Grants Unit and our Budget and Finance Division. Here at USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, getting support to partners on the ground is essential in our lifesaving work, and both teams are at the very heart of those operations. The Grants Unit works tirelessly to move resources so USAID partners can save lives, and the team processed approximately $8.5 billion in USAID’s humanitarian funding during Fiscal Year 2024. The Grants Unit helps deliver these resources by shaping agreements with partners while making sure all the little things are in place to get partners what they need. Since unexpected events frequently occur during humanitarian crises, the unit also stays flexible to rapidly meet needs when unforeseen circumstances arise. Relatedly, our Budget and Finance Division (BFD) specializes in fiscal planning and reporting to ensure that resources are effectively utilized and accurately tracked. BFD works with a multitude of teams to formulate the annual budget request that goes to Congress, and they help with strategic financial planning to help ensure that funds are used efficiently. Though their daily work can be complex, BFD’s Division Chief Katie McKenna says her teams are there to help explain things in simple terms. “We are here for staff as a resource, and we can help them understand the process. Also, if they want someone to do a more in-depth analysis of funding data, we have people who can sit down and work with them.” We salute the invaluable skills, steadfast attention to detail, and strategic insights of BFD and the Grants Unit that enable our partners to continue delivering aid to those who need it the most.

Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, but importantly, it also marks the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. Violence against women and girls is one of the most prevalent forms of abuse that occurs during a crisis. USAID supports programs around the world that focus on preventing and responding to violence against women and girls before, during, and after disasters. This includes doubling our funding to the Women's Peace & Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) - a global, multi-donor United Nations Trust Fund that enables the leadership of local women-led organizations responding to crises worldwide. And, between fiscal year 22 and fiscal year 24, USAID more than doubled the percentage of its humanitarian budget for the protection sector, including preventing and responding to violence against women and girls. Learn more about this lifesaving work: