Responding In Times of Crisis

A child waits at a distribution point to receive USAID/OFDA emergency relief commodities after Indonesia’s Mt. Merapi volcano—located approximately 15 miles north of Yogyakarta city in Central Java Province—erupted several times in late October and early

USAID/OFDA

When a disaster destroys cities, markets, and livelihoods, rescuing prized possessions is not foremost in people’s minds.  And when hunger and disease threaten to spread and cause despair, the affected are not merely facing simple inconveniences.

Whether a crisis occurs within minutes or unfolds over months, the primary and most crucial concern of those in its path is simply to survive.

USAID responded to 67 crises in 54 countries last year alone.

We provided life-saving aid to millions enduring crises around the world, including:

• Severe drought across the Horn of Africa, with famine in Somalia
• Earthquake, Tsunami, and nuclear situation in Japan
• Flooding in Pakistan
• Volcanic eruption in Indonesia
• Cholera outbreak in Haiti
• Complex emergencies in Libya, Tunisia, Cote d’Ivoire, and South Sudan

USAID works to help those in crisis survive everyday, wherever people are in need.