Chronic conflicts, drought, earthquakes, floods, seasonal storms, and severe winter weather, compounded by limited government response capacity in some countries, present significant challenges to vulnerable populations in South Asia. Between FY 2008 and FY 2017, USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) and USAID’s Office of Food for Peace (USAID/FFP) provided humanitarian assistance in response to a diverse range of natural and man-made disasters in the region. Examples include cyclones in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan; earthquakes in India, Nepal, and Pakistan; floods and landslides throughout the region; and complex emergencies in Afghanistan, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
USAID provided nearly $2.7 billion to assist disasteraffected populations in South Asia between FY 2008 and FY 2017. USAID/FFP support included more than $1.8 billion for emergency food assistance in the form of U.S.-purchased food, locally and regionally purchased food, cash transfers for food, food vouchers, and related activities. USAID/OFDA assistance included nearly $816 million for programs in agriculture and food security, economic recovery and market systems, health, humanitarian coordination and information management, logistics support and relief commodities, nutrition, protection, shelter and settlements, search and rescue, and water, sanitation, and hygiene.
In the last decade, USAID responded to 67 disasters in South Asia and deployed humanitarian teams to the region as needed, including five Disaster Assistance Response Teams (DARTs). Recent DARTs in South Asia responded to emergencies in Pakistan, including an earthquake and conflict and related displacement in FY 2009 and flooding that spanned part of FY 2010 and FY 2011. USAID also deployed a DART to Bangladesh in response to Cyclone Sidr in FY 2008 and to Nepal following a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in FY 2015. USAID also activated multiple Washington, D.C.-based Response Management Teams to support coordination and response efforts.