Background

Samoa, an island nation located in the southern Pacific Ocean, is highly vulnerable to recurring extreme weather events and natural hazards—such as earthquakes, floods, storms, and volcanic eruptions—that can result in casualties, displacement, and other humanitarian impacts. These disasters can also generate significant crop losses, damage to infrastructure, and increased transmission of vector- and waterborne diseases, adversely impacting the livelihoods of local communities. Meanwhile, extreme climate variations are presenting new risks, including changes in rainfall patterns, increased severity of storms, and rises in sea levels which could exacerbate vulnerabilities among many communities in Samoa.

When disasters strike, USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance helps to address the humanitarian needs of people affected by sudden-onset events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, cyclones, and volcanic eruptions. USAID/BHA support also enables capacity-building and early recovery, risk reduction, and resilience (ER4) interventions in Samoa that bolster community-based early warning systems and disaster risk management planning, as well as provide critical technical assistance to national disaster monitoring organizations. Throughout the Pacific island region, USAID/BHA works with local, national, and regional leaders and disaster management specialists to promote self-reliance, reduce the impacts of natural hazards, and increase response efficacy.