Disaster Response in East Asia and Pacific Region

Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) Regional Office for Asia-Pacific in Bangkok, Thailand, provided disaster response and risk reduction assistance in the East Asia and Pacific Region during July and August 2012. Heavy monsoon rains intensified by two strong typhoons led to flooding and at least 100 deaths across the Philippines, affecting more than 3.4 million people and displacing 400,000 others by mid-August. In response to the disaster, USAID/OFDA provided an initial $100,000 to Catholic Relief Services (CRS) for the distribution of emergency relief supplies benefiting 10,000 flood-affected people in the metropolitan Manila area. Additional funding of $300,000 was provided to CRS for emergency relief and $100,000 to the U.N. World Food Program for logistics support. The assistance helped families experiencing acute flooding stay healthy and recover more quickly from the disaster. In Ambon, Indonesia, heavy rains resulted in flooding and landslides in early August, killing 10 people and displacing several thousand others. USAID/OFDA provided $100,000 through USAID/Indonesia to Mercy Corps for the distribution of emergency relief commodities in Ambon. The existing relationship between USAID/OFDA and Mercy Corps facilitated a rapid response. Separate conflicts in Burma's Rakhine and Kachin states have resulted in the displacement of more than 110,000 people since last fall. The displaced individuals lack sufficient shelter, health, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) materials. In response, USAID/OFDA provided $853,000 to the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) to assist displaced individuals with access to adequate WASH materials and services, and an additional $150,000 to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to improve coordination of the humanitarian responses. To help Thailand prepare for and manage the many hazards it faces, USAID/OFDA provides technical support and training in the Incident Command System (ICS). ICS is a pre-defined chain of command designed to provide a common framework within which response agencies can work together effectively. Building on lessons learned from the 2011 floods, USAID/OFDA is supporting ICS instruction for senior-level officials and increased ICS training for practitioners. In China, a series of strong storms and typhoons caused widespread flooding and landslides, resulting in more than 900 deaths and affecting populations throughout the country. The Government of the People's Republic of China (GoPRC) conducted a robust response, deploying personnel, relief commodities, and equipment to affected areas and conducting pre-emptory evacuations in areas forecast to be affected by flooding or landslides. USAID/OFDA provided a total of $100,000 to the Red Cross Society of China and the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation for emergency relief commodities for flood-affected populations. USAID/OFDA staff conducted two separate trips to assess humanitarian conditions and determine additional response options in Burma's Rakhine and Kachin states. The staff interviewed internally displaced persons (IDPs) and met with Government of Burma (GoB) agencies and relief organizations operating in affected areas to determine the IDPs' needs in WASH, shelter, and nutrition. USAID/OFDA plans to continue to monitor the humanitarian situation and discuss conditions with staff from the U.S. Embassy in Rangoon, USAID/Burma, other donor organizations, GoB agencies, U.N. agencies, and international and local non-governmental organizations.