*EPF305 12/29/2004
United States Gears Up for Disaster Relief Worldwide
(Aid funneled through local, international nongovernmental organizations) (960)

By Kathryn McConnell
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington --- Disaster response teams throughout the U.S. government moved into high gear December 26 in response to the earthquake and tsunamis in Southeast Asia.

These efforts, which include a broad range of immediate and long-term disaster-rehabilitation services, will leverage the considerable humanitarian programs of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and local relief groups in the region spanning from Indonesia to Somalia.

The U.S. government's overall disaster preparedness and response plan is based on first saving lives and alleviating human suffering, and following up with programs that reduce the social and economic impact of natural or man-made crises, according to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

In response to the massive loss of life and the threat of disease outbreaks in South Asia and Southeast Asia, USAID already is transporting food commodities, potable water, water purification units, and medical and shelter supplies to the region.

In addition, USAID is providing funding to local and international NGOs, such as the International Federation of Red Cross and Crescent Societies and country-based Red Cross groups, to distribute the aid. The United States has joined with Australia, Japan and India and with the United Nations to coordinate relief to the area.

Initially, USAID is deploying a disaster-assistance response team to South Asia and Southeast Asia. The team comprises specialists in water and sanitation, health, agriculture, shelter, hazardous materials and other areas to assess the magnitude of the disaster in each country and coordinate the U.S. response. Team members have set up operations in Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, and Thailand, which have experienced the most reported casualties.

As of December 28, deaths from the disaster also have been reported in Myanmar, Malaysia, Somalia, the Maldives, Tanzania and Bangladesh.

HELPING COUNTRIES IN CRISIS

The United States gives more to help countries in crises than any other country in the world. In 2004, the United States contributed $2.4 billion to emergency humanitarian efforts, representing 40 percent of the total world contribution to emergency aid that year.

USAID has partnered with private groups including CARE, the American Refugee Committee, and Catholic Relief Services to provide food security and health and sanitation services to conflict-affected persons in the Darfur region of Sudan and in neighboring Eastern Chad.

Earlier in December, following massive landslides and flooding in the Philippines, USAID channeled aid funds through NGOs including the Red Cross, World Vision and Save the Children to procure and distribute emergency relief commodities, and to the U.N. World Health Organization (WHO) to conduct disease surveillance activities.

USAID's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) is responsible for facilitating and coordinating U.S. emergency assistance overseas. OFDA can support a wide range of humanitarian activities including technical assistance support for donor coordination; urban search-and-rescue efforts; chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive assessment and limited response; and projects that promote the livelihoods of the survivors of a disaster.

MEETING BASIC NEEDS

Providing clean water supplies is one of the immediate needs following a disaster. Water-supply intervention efforts may include rehabilitating wells and developing springs and rainwater collection systems.

In conjunction with providing clean water, immediately after a disaster USAID provides sanitation facilities, such as latrines and solid waste disposal units, and promotes sound hygiene practices, to prevent the spread of disease.

Emergency health aid includes funding for essential drugs, immunizations and oral re-hydration therapy. Emergency nutrition efforts include supplemental feeding programs and community and therapeutic feeding programs that address acute malnutrition.

U.S. food aid is administered jointly by USAID and the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Food for Peace program. Food assistance is a combination of commodities from U.S. government stocks and food purchased from countries close to the disaster area.

Agricultural goods provided by Food for Peace can also be sold or exchanged to help affected rural communities to resume producing food to meet their needs.

Longer-term food and nutrition aid may be in the form of providing seeds, feed and agricultural tools to farmers and restocking livestock herds.

USAID assistance programs are designed to prevent protection problems such as violence, abuse, theft, harassment or exploitation of vulnerable individuals, according to the agency. The most vulnerable populations are displaced persons, women, children, older people and persons with disabilities.

When and where possible, USAID programs promote the use of local materials and labor, which often results in locally acceptable emergency shelter solutions and needed jobs, it said.

Another part of U.S. aid efforts following a disaster is the Denton Program, jointly administered by USAID and the departments of State and Defense. The program allows private U.S. citizens and organizations to use space available on U.S. military cargo planes to transport humanitarian goods, such as clothing, food, medical and educational supplies, and agricultural equipment and vehicles, to countries in need.

OFDA also coordinates with the U.S. military to facilitate civilian-military aid efforts.

USAID encourages cash donations from concerned individuals instead of donations of materials. Cash donations, the agency says, allow aid professionals to procure the exact items needed, reduce the burden on scarce transportation, staff and storage resources, support the economies of the disaster-stricken areas, and ensure the culturally, dietary and environmentally appropriateness of the aid.

USAID's guide to effective giving following a disaster is available on the agency's Web site at: http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/humanitarian_assistance/disaster_assistance/help/index.html.

A list of relief agencies working in the disaster area is available on the USAID site at: http://www.usaid.gov/locations/asia_near_east/tsunami/ngolist.html.

Additional information is available from Interaction at http://www.interaction.org/sasia/index.html, and from the U.N.Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) at http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/vLND/5F8A41AE2188E3A949256F76002F8861?OpenDocument&StartKey=South+Asia:+Earthquake+and+Tsunami+-+Dec+2004&ExpandView.

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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