Following is a Web version of a document from USAID's 1997 Congressional Presentation. Please note that some formatting may have been lost in the automated conversion of the original file. This document is also available for download in its original WordPerfect 5.1 format.

FY 1997 REQUEST: $190,000,000

The International Disaster Assistance program of the United States assists the growing number of persons affected by natural and man-made disasters. The FY 1997 funding request consists of $190 million for International Disaster Assistance. This includes $165 million to respond to emergency relief needs worldwide and for disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness activities, and $25 million to support the Transition Initiative, which began in FY 1994. The FY 1997 request includes funding for assistance to the Kurdish refugees in northern Iraq, which until FY 1995 was funded through Department of Defense appropriations. The Administration also is requesting $837 million in P.L. 480 Title II resources, a portion of which will be used for emergency food aid responses.

The number and intensity of disasters have been rising, and the upward trajectory of humanitarian assistance requirements is projected to continue. Complex emergencies--those involving political and military conflict--are a major contributor to these trends. Although these conflicts change in intensity, their resolution is very difficult, and relief assistance can be necessary to meet emergency needs of civilian populations for long periods. Large populations in Angola, Bosnia, Liberia, Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi and Sudan continue to require assistance to survive. Over 50% of assistance to complex emergencies goes to African countries.

Parallel to increases in the number of persons affected by complex emergencies, rapid population growth in many developing countries increases the numbers of people vulnerable to natural hazards such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and volcanoes. Urban areas are expanding, with unsafe habitation in many shanty areas and slums. Also, people move onto marginally viable and unsafe lands where natural hazards such as hurricanes, earthquakes and volcanoes and their side effects, such as flooding and mudslides, have disastrous human impact.

The goal of USAID humanitarian assistance is to save lives and minimize suffering. USAID must also work to prevent these costly crises and to assist countries to move from crisis to development. Humanitarian assistance programs are increasingly integrated with development programs to support this process, and there are some new programming dimensions through our Transition Initiative, as well.

There are three important principles that guide USAID's humanitarian assistance:

First, the emergency response, which focuses on saving lives and reducing suffering, can simultaneously assist the return to sustainable development by supporting local capabilities, providing safety nets, and strengthening human capacity. Programs in maternal and child feeding, emergency health care and shelter provision can be administered in ways that contribute to the regeneration of communities and to regional stabilization. The provision of seeds for food crops along with relief food to disaster victims in farming areas enables these producers to return to self-sufficiency. Medical emergency programs which draw on local medical staff and encourage on-the-job training, when feasible, are more likely to reduce the need for external resources in the future.

A second principle is that prevention and mitigation of the effects of disasters must be built into response programs. Prevention requires strengthening local response capacities. Disaster preparedness requires careful examination of relief and recovery planning. USAID's field missions play an important role in helping government, municipal, and community leaders to prepare for disasters and to design development projects that fully reflect the risk from disasters. One of USAID's most successful disaster preparedness initiatives is the volcano disaster assistance program, conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey. This early warning system has prompted evacuations of threatened populations before eruptions, saving hundreds of thousands of lives.

A third guiding principle is that timely, effective assistance to countries emerging from crisis can make the difference between a successful or failed transition. Countries experiencing a significant political transition, national conflict, or a major national disaster, such as a prolonged drought, may have special needs which are not addressed by traditional disaster response. Nor do these countries generally have the infrastructure that allows the resumption of long-term programs of sustainable development. The Transition Initiative responds to needs inthis "gray area" between relief and development, funding programs, for example, in the reintegration of dislocated populations, including demobilized soldiers, and the creation and revitalization of political and civic institutions.

Effective humanitarian assistance requires that the USAID relief, mitigation, transition and development programs support each other, as described above. In addition, USAID must also collaborate closely with other assistance providers in the international community. This is particularly important both to coordinate programs and to share the burden of relief costs. U.S. private voluntary organizations (PVOs) are critically important partners and play an essential role in raising resources, providing assistance, and implementing programs. USAID's partnerships with U.S. PVOs and nongovernmental organizations, United Nations agencies and other donors include support for mechanisms to facilitate the exchange of information among international partners and to prevent duplicative efforts.

Pursuant to section 493 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended, the President has designated the USAID Administrator as his Special Coordinator for Disaster Assistance. USAID has a well-established management structure and disaster relief expertise which draw on public and private sector resources to enable a response within 24 to 72 hours after a disaster. USAID fields assessment teams to identify needs, and provides disaster assistance response teams (DARTs) to facilitate communication and organize a response. It also provides communication support equipment, search and rescue groups, medical assistance, shelter, food and potable water.

In 1995 USAID responded to 20 floods, 3 epidemics, 2 hurricanes, 4 droughts, a volcano, a fire, a volcanic mudslide and a locust outbreak. USAID is responding to numerous complex emergencies as well, such as those in Sudan, Rwanda and Bosnia-Hercegovina. In Bosnia-Hercegovina, USAID has a long-standing DART team in the region; World Health Organization surveys show that USAID programs there have contributed to the avoidance of mass starvation through targeted food aid and support for local coping mechanisms.

USAID works closely with the Department of State and the Department of Defense to coordinate American relief efforts. For urgent disaster situations, 24-hour coverage is provided by staff to ensure the transmission of accurate information across different agencies, and between the disaster area and important response centers. Satellite communication equipment augments USAID's ability to carefully target emergency assistance and to coordinate with donors and other U.S. Government and nongovernmental agencies. Cost-effectiveness and timeliness are important hallmarks of USAID humanitarian assistance.

Complex disasters, which generally involve a combination of factors including political and military strife and a breakdown of governance and social infrastructures, often mean prolonged provision of relief assistance to some affected populations. In these circumstances, USAID seeks to support interventions which encourage local participation and self sufficiency The Greater Horn of Africa region, comprised of Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania, is a particularly disaster-prone area, drawing over 50% of the emergency funds to Africa. The United States has focused on this region with an initiative which includes collaboration with other donors and African leaders and institutions. Under this initiative, USAID is working to integrate its humanitarian assistance and development strategies in order to more effectively link relief and development and better promote food security.

The increase in complex and prolonged disasters has led to other innovative strategy changes. The Transition Initiative provides a mechanism to rapidly assess and address short-term political and economic needs in the important recovery stage. Key areas for the Transition Initiative include the demobilization and reintegration of soldiers, electoral preparations and governance, and civil infrastructure. The transition program in Haiti promotes stability through demobilization, emphasizing skills development for ex-military personnel, and through efforts to create and strengthen civil governance structures. Demobilization and landmine awareness and removal are important elements of the transition program in Angola where militarization continues to represent a threat to a stable recovery. And in Bosnia-Hercegovina and Rwanda, transition programs are working with local communities to reduce ethnic conflicts. These interventions are fundamental to the successful recovery of these countries from political and natural crises.