The U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA)

POC: D. Chivers USAID OFDA Civ-Mil Coordinator for Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa (dchivers@ofda.gov)

OFDAOffice of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance

As Of 2013 JUL 22

Given in Sofia,Bulgaria for the Inter-Agency Cooperation in Crisis

Management and Disaster Response

Workshop, 17-18SEP 2013

OFDAOffice of U.S. Foreign Disaster AssistanceTOPICS

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

• 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

OFDAOffice of U.S. Foreign Disaster AssistanceMain Actors

• 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

OFDAOffice of U.S. Foreign Disaster AssistanceUSAID/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

OFDAOffice of U.S. Foreign Disaster AssistanceUSAID/OFDA Basics

USG

POC: D.Chivers@ofda.gov

OFDAOffice of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance

As Of 24 JUN 13

From Request to Response

Host Nation US Ambassador

in Capitol

MDRO

USAID/ OFDA(Region & DC)

Request Assistance

Authorizes OFDA Response

• HN asks or is willing to accept

• Beyond HN capacity

• In USG Interest

Disaster Declaration Cable

Senior Leader at Federal Level

May be phone call or meeting only-

No need for public or formal announcement

Request Meets the USG Criteria:

Response OptionsOFDAOffice of U.S.

Foreign Disaster Assistance

Deploy OFDA Staff

Fund Partners

Regional Advisor

Assessment Team

DART & RMT

UN Agencies

Int’l Orgs (IOs)

NGOs

OFDA Warehouses

Special Purchase

3rd Party

Disaster Declaration

CableYes

• 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

$50k Grants

All Options are based on Rapid Humanitarian Needs Assessment

Provide Commodities

Employ USG Inter-Agency

USPHS / CDC

BLM/ USFS

DOD

• Depends on specifics of the event

• May or may not be Reimbursable

• OFDA validates all actions by inter-agency partner

USAR

Others

POC: D. Chivers OFDA Advisor to EMCA and EUCOM

OFDAOffice of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance

As Of 07 SEP 12

Response Options• Staff / Field Teams / DART

Field Monitoring: Philippines ’09

DART Field Team – Nicaragua ‘07

Typical DART DART Field Coordination Task: Coordinating Response Logistics

OFDAOffice of U.S. Foreign Disaster AssistanceResponse Options

• Emergency Relief Commodities

Plastic Sheeting for Shelter Water Treatment trailer

OFDA Locally Purchased Hygiene Kits Plastic Sheeting at airfield

OFDAOffice of U.S. Foreign Disaster AssistanceResponse Options

• Grants to Implementing Partners

Red Cross MovementNGOs

International Organizations (IOs) The UN

OFDAOffice of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance

As Of 07 SEP 12

Response Options• Request Unique Capabilities from the USG Inter-Agency

DOD: Nicaragua ‘07

Add USAR, CDC,

CDC: Philippines ‘09

OFDA and USAID/FFP (Food For Peace) : Haiti ‘10 USAR Teams : Haiti ‘10

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OFDA Wash DC - Informs the Inter-Agency - Manages the Process as the Lead Federal Agency - Begins Crisis Planning

OFDA Region -Coordinates w/ the Field & DC -US EMB, USAID & non- USG (UN, Donors, etc.)

OFDA @ COCOM -Updates and Advises the CDR and Staff

Does event meet USG Response Criteria?• HN Request• Beyond HN Capacity• In US interest Disaster

Declaration Cable

USG Updates, Fact Sheets

USAID Mission

US AMB/COM

USG Foreign Disaster Response (FDR) Process

(with Optional DOD Support)

POC: D. Chivers, dchivers@ofda.gov

Yes

Inform . Advise

Input

ACTION

Main STATE

MDRO & OFDA Draft Cable

COM Signs

OFDA Response Options Employed

-Staff to Scene or DART

-Funding of Implementing Partners- Grants $$

-Commodities -Request Inter-Agency Support if Needed > Does DOD have a needed Unique Capability?

Executive Secretary Memo

(Exec Sec)

USAID/OFDA

Yes

Note: OFDA will inform DOD of all DDs

SECDEF Approves, then orders process to COCOM,

who assigns a MILFOR / JTF if applicable

-Staffs, Sources and Executes Daily MITAM missions

-Coordinates with Users to Execute

-Re-Deploy as soon as Unique Service No Longer NeededMaintain Situational Awareness / Planning if Appropriate Deploy

Response HQ/ JTF

COCOM , Components & Select Units and Bases - Raise Awareness / Alert - Establish OPT for FDR- if it looks like DOD may requested to support (OFDA @ COCOM will assist)

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: Per DOD Directive 5100.46, “... a military commander with assigned forces at or near the immediate scene of a foreign

disaster (can take) prompt action to save human lives...”

Host Nation

Request Assistance

FDR FCM NEO Process: 2013 SEP10

On-Scene

OFDA Field Tm/ DART

- Manages the On- Scene

USG Response

- Validates, Vets, and Prioritizes Mission Requests to DOD

ACTION

MITAM(Tactical Mission

Requests to DOD)

OFDA is LFA

OFDAOffice of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance

Always- Coordination

Working with Host Nation to Distribute Supplies DART attends UN Cluster Meetings

DART coordinating with other donors, the UN and foreign militaries

Advising and Coordinating with Local Government Ministries and NGOs

• 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

OFDAOffice of U.S. Foreign Disaster AssistanceIn our area Now

ResourcesYour OFDA Contact is:Mr. Dana D. Chivers dchivers@ofda.gov +1.571.594-3937

Need Info/SA? Go to www.reliefweb.int

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED

OFDA Mandate1. Save Lives2. Alleviate Human Suffering3. Reduce the Economic and Social

Impact of the Disaster

OFDA ‘s Tasks during a Response1. 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

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

OFDA Response Options1. People (Individuals. Regional

Advisors or Teams /DART)2. Money (Grants to UN, IOs, NGOs)3. Stuff ( Emergency supplies)

OFDAOffice of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance

USAID/OFDAOffice of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance

POC: D. Chivers OFDA Advisor to EMCA and EUCOM As Of 11 SEP 12