SECTOR OVERVIEW
As the lead U.S. Government (USG) office for international disaster response, USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) facilitates and coordinates the purchase and movement of emergency relief commodities worldwide. USAID/OFDA stockpiles relief supplies at regional warehouses in Miami, Florida; Pisa, Italy; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Stockpiled commodities include blankets, plastic sheeting for emergency shelter, family hygiene kits, kitchen sets, Zodiac boats, 10-liter collapsible water containers, 10,000-liter water storage bladders, and trailer-mounted water treatment units. In addition to stockpiled items, USAID/OFDA maintains a full-time logistics team that enables a rapid response in the aftermath of disaster. In the event of a large-scale disaster, USAID/OFDA can augment the core team with USAID/OFDA-trained logisticians, including staff from the U.S. Forest Service’s Disaster Assistance Support Program and Urban Search and Rescue teams from the Fairfax County, Virginia, Fire and Rescue Department and the Los Angeles County, California, Fire Department.
The USAID/OFDA full-time logistics team in Washington, D.C., coordinates the delivery of relief supplies from regional warehouse hubs to affected areas via air, sea, or land. USAID/OFDA logisticians can also rapidly procure relief items that are not stockpiled in regional warehouses from numerous suppliers around the world. As the majority of emergency responses require airlifts, USAID/OFDA works closely with USAID’s Office of Acquisition and Assistance to utilize commercial aircraft in order to expedite the delivery of relief supplies, when necessary. The USAID/OFDA logisticians may also coordinate with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to employ military assets for transportation support, most often using DoD helicopters to airlift emergency relief supplies to disaster-affected areas that are inaccessible or far from the nearest airport. Logistics staff in the field receive the commodities and ensure that supplies reach implementing partners for distribution to affected populations. USAID/OFDA may also pre-position personnel and emergency relief supplies in the event of an impending disaster, such as a hurricane or volcanic eruption, to ensure that assistance is available to affected communities as humanitarian needs arise.