Office of U.S. Foreign
Disaster Assistance
The U.S. Office of Foreign
Disaster Assistance (OFDA)
Given in Sofia,Bulgaria
for the Inter-Agency
Cooperation in Crisis
Management and
Disaster Response
Workshop,
17-18SEP 2013
POC: D. Chivers USAID OFDA Civ-Mil Coordinator for Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa
([email protected])
As Of 2013 JUL 22
TOPICS
Office of U.S. Foreign
Disaster Assistance
1. USG Main actors in “Foreign Disaster
Response” (DOD Term)
[AKA FHA,
HA/DR]
–
“Humanitarian Assistance” for all others
2. OFDA Basics
3. USG Response Process
4. USG Response Options
5. OFDA in EUCOM today
Main Actors
Office of U.S. Foreign
Disaster Assistance
• STATE Department
– US Policy and Diplomatic Guidance
– Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM)
– Focus is REFUGEES
• USAID/ OFDA
– Focus is INTERNALY DISPLACED
– Response to Natural and Man Made disasters
– Also works in Disaster Risk Reduction
• Others (HHS, DOD, etc.)
– Only when REQUESTED by LFA
– Depends on UNIQUE capability of each
USAID/OFDA Basics
Office of U.S. Foreign
Disaster Assistance
• OFDA Role within the USG
– Lead Federal Agency (LFA) for International Disaster Response
(Humanitarian Assistance)
– Coordinator of USG Response in support of Host Nation, and in
Coordination with the International Humanitarian Community
and other Donors
– Donor
– Strategic, Operational and Expeditionary
USAID/OFDA Basics
• Mandate / Mission
– Save Lives, Alleviate Human Suffering, and Reduce the
Economic and Social Impacts of a disaster
• Authorities & Money
– Since 1961- The Foreign Assistance Act
– Congressionally Funded- “IDA” Account
– Special Authorities to move and spend money quickly
Office of U.S. Foreign
Disaster Assistance
From Request to Response
USG
Host
Nation
Senior
Leader at
Federal
Level
Office of U.S. Foreign
Disaster Assistance
Request
Assistance
May be phone
call or meeting
onlyNo need for
public or formal
announcement
US Ambassador
in Capitol
MDRO
Request Meets the
USG Criteria:
USAID/ OFDA
(Region & DC)
Authorizes OFDA
Response
POC: [email protected]
• HN asks or is
willing to accept
• Beyond HN
capacity
• In USG Interest
Disaster
Declaration Cable
As Of 24 JUN 13
Response Options
Office of U.S.
Foreign Disaster
Assistance
•
Coordinate the USG
Response
•
Report the USG
response
•
In support of HN
•
Work with UN, IOs and
NGOs
•
Work in the Cluster
System
•
Practice Good
Donorship
•
Uphold Humanitarian
Principles
•
Miami, Italy, UAE, and
Dobbins AFB
•
Commercial Air Most
Common
•
Local Purchase often
good option
•
Can assist partners
•
Depends on specifics
of the event
•
May or may not be
Reimbursable
•
OFDA validates all
actions by interagency partner
Regional Advisor
Deploy OFDA
Staff
Assessment Team
DART & RMT
UN Agencies
Fund Partners
Disaster
Declaration
Cable
 $50k
 Grants
Int’l Orgs (IOs)
NGOs
Yes
OFDA Warehouses
Provide
Commodities
Special Purchase
3rd Party
USPHS / CDC
Employ USG
Inter-Agency
BLM/ USFS
DOD
All Options are based on
Rapid Humanitarian
Needs Assessment
USAR
Others
Response Options
Office of U.S. Foreign
Disaster Assistance
• Staff / Field Teams / DART
Field Monitoring: Philippines ’09
DART Field Team – Nicaragua ‘07
DART
DART
Field
POC: Typical
D. Chivers
OFDA
Advisor
to Coordination
EMCA and EUCOM
Task: Coordinating Response LogisticsAs Of 07 SEP 12
Response Options
• Emergency Relief Commodities
Plastic Sheeting for Shelter
OFDA Locally Purchased Hygiene Kits
Water Treatment trailer
Plastic Sheeting at airfield
Office of U.S. Foreign
Disaster Assistance
Response Options
• Grants to Implementing Partners
NGOs
International Organizations (IOs)
Red Cross Movement
The UN
Office of U.S. Foreign
Disaster Assistance
Response Options
Office of U.S. Foreign
Disaster Assistance
• Request Unique Capabilities from the USG Inter-Agency
OFDA and USAID/FFP (Food For Peace) : Haiti ‘10
USAR Teams : Haiti ‘10
Add USAR, CDC,
CDC: Philippines ‘09
DOD: Nicaragua ‘07
As Of 07 SEP 12
USG Foreign Disaster Response (FDR) Process
(with Optional DOD Support)
USAID/OFDA
OFDA Wash DC
Does event meet USG
- Informs the Inter-Agency
- Manages the Process asResponse Criteria?
• HN Request
the Lead Federal Agency
- Begins Crisis Planning • Beyond HN Capacity
Humanitarian Emergency Begins
•
OFDA Region
-Coordinates w/ the
Field & DC
-US EMB, USAID & nonUSG (UN, Donors, etc.)
OFDA @ COCOM
-Updates and Advises
the CDR and Staff
USG Updates, Fact
Sheets
Inform .
Advise
In US interest
Yes
Office of U.S. Foreign
Disaster Assistance
On-Scene
OFDA is LFA
OFDA Response Options
Employed
OFDA Field Tm/
DART
-Staff to Scene or DART
Disaster
Declaration
Cable
-Manages the On- Scene
USG Response
-Funding of Implementing
Partners- Grants $$
-Validates, Vets, and
Prioritizes Mission
Requests to DOD
-Commodities
Input
USAID Mission
COM
Signs
US AMB/COM
MDRO & OFDA
Draft Cable
-Request Inter-Agency
Support if Needed
Yes
> Does DOD have
a needed Unique
Capability?
Executive
Secretary Memo
(Exec Sec)
MITAM
(Tactical Mission
Requests to DOD)
Main STATE
Request
Assistance
ACTION
Host Nation
DOD in DC
- Raise Awareness /Alert
- Start planning if indications are
DOD may be requested
- Embed / Coordinate w/ OFDA in
DC if DOD support request is likely
Note: OFDA will inform
DOD of all DDs
SECDEF Approves, then
orders process to COCOM,
who assigns a MILFOR / JTF
if applicable
COCOM , Components & Select Units and
Bases
Note: Per DOD Directive 5100.46, “... a military commander with
- Raise Awareness / Alert
assigned forces at or near the immediate scene of a foreign
- Establish OPT for FDR- if it looks
like DOD may requested to
disaster (can take) prompt action to save human lives...”
support (OFDA @ COCOM will assist)
Maintain Situational Awareness / Planning if Appropriate
Deploy
ACTION
Response HQ/
JTF
-Staffs, Sources and
Executes Daily
MITAM missions
-Coordinates with
Users to Execute
-Re-Deploy as soon
as Unique Service
No Longer Needed
Always- Coordination
Working with Host Nation to Distribute Supplies
DART coordinating with other donors, the UN and
foreign militaries
DART attends UN Cluster Meetings
Advising and Coordinating with Local Government
Ministries and NGOs
In our area Now
Office of U.S. Foreign
Disaster Assistance
• Syria Complex Emergency
– DART (Disaster Assistance Response Team) operating from
Turkey and Jordan
– Grants through Implementing Partners for work inside Syria
(Health, Shelter, Medical, Nutrition, WASH, etc.)
– Commodity shipments
• Israel, the UN, PA , and Jordan Professional Dialogue
• Remaining ready for responses in E. Europe and the
Caucasus
USAID/OFDA
Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance
OFDA Mandate
1. Save Lives
2. Alleviate Human Suffering
3. Reduce the Economic and Social
Impact of the Disaster
OFDA Response Options
1. People (Individuals. Regional
Advisors or Teams /DART)
2. Money (Grants to UN, IOs, NGOs)
3. Stuff ( Emergency supplies)
OFDA ‘s Tasks during a Response
1. Lead the Inter-Agency Response
within the beltway as well as in the
field
2. Coordinate USG response actions on
the ground to meet Humanitarian
Needs
3. Coordinate with other responders
such as the HN, UN, & NGOs
POC: D. Chivers OFDA Advisor to EMCA and EUCOM
Office of U.S. Foreign
Disaster Assistance
Key Civ-Mil Points
1.
OFDA is the USG Lead Federal Agency
(“Supported Unit”)
2.
Disaster Response is counter-intuitive /
Not like Fighting a War
3.
“Do No Harm” is paramount
4.
FHA System is PULL, not Push
5.
Response is based on NEED (takes time)
6.
DOD Capacity does not equal Need
7.
Exec Sec Memo makes it official
8.
Normally Not Reimbursable
9.
MITAM is tactical Request for mission
support
Resources
Your OFDA Contact is:
Mr. Dana D. Chivers [email protected]
+1.571.594-3937
Need Info/SA? Go to www.reliefweb.int
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED
As Of 11 SEP 12