USAID - Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance

Our week of gratitude continues as we give thanks to our Grants Unit and our Budget and Finance Division. Here at USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, getting support to partners on the ground is essential in our lifesaving work, and both teams are at the very heart of those operations. The Grants Unit works tirelessly to move resources so USAID partners can save lives, and the team processed approximately $8.5 billion in USAID’s humanitarian funding during Fiscal Year 2024. The Grants Unit helps deliver these resources by shaping agreements with partners while making sure all the little things are in place to get partners what they need. Since unexpected events frequently occur during humanitarian crises, the unit also stays flexible to rapidly meet needs when unforeseen circumstances arise. Relatedly, our Budget and Finance Division (BFD) specializes in fiscal planning and reporting to ensure that resources are effectively utilized and accurately tracked. BFD works with a multitude of teams to formulate the annual budget request that goes to Congress, and they help with strategic financial planning to help ensure that funds are used efficiently. Though their daily work can be complex, BFD’s Division Chief Katie McKenna says her teams are there to help explain things in simple terms. “We are here for staff as a resource, and we can help them understand the process. Also, if they want someone to do a more in-depth analysis of funding data, we have people who can sit down and work with them.” We salute the invaluable skills, steadfast attention to detail, and strategic insights of BFD and the Grants Unit that enable our partners to continue delivering aid to those who need it the most.

Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, but importantly, it also marks the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. Violence against women and girls is one of the most prevalent forms of abuse that occurs during a crisis. USAID supports programs around the world that focus on preventing and responding to violence against women and girls before, during, and after disasters. This includes doubling our funding to the Women's Peace & Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) - a global, multi-donor United Nations Trust Fund that enables the leadership of local women-led organizations responding to crises worldwide. And, between fiscal year 22 and fiscal year 24, USAID more than doubled the percentage of its humanitarian budget for the protection sector, including preventing and responding to violence against women and girls. Learn more about this lifesaving work:

Every team here at USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance plays a critical role to ensure our mission to deliver lifesaving aid around the world is accomplished. And this week, we’re giving thanks and shining a spotlight on just some of the many teams whose support helps get the job done. Today, we give thanks to our Response Operations Center Team (ROCT). With the core value of “Response readiness inside and out,” they keep us fully supplied to deploy anywhere at a moment’s notice. This team ensures that we have all the equipment we need to stay safe and healthy in any environment. They work painstakingly to assemble survival kits with food, water purification items, medical equipment, and safety gear to keep us going in unpredictable scenarios. From USAID hats and shirts, to rain jackets that keep us dry, and even fleeces for cold days, the ROCT crew has it all to keep us comfortable in any environment. Though the supply depot is based in Washington, D.C., they deliver supplies to our personnel all over the globe. “We go the extra mile to make sure our staff overseas are decked out in the proper attire,” said Carly Cussen, one team member. Another ROCT member, Phillis Brown, told us, “It’s so great to be part of a forward-facing team that’s all about customer service and helping our staff get response-ready” A big thank you to the ROCT stars for keeping us looking good and well equipped everywhere we go!

Flooding and landslides triggered by heavy monsoon season rains affected more than 551,000 people in Pakistan this year. In our newest Assistance Overview, learn about the lifesaving work USAID partners have done to get much-needed assistance to people in need. https://lnkd.in/gQBtJnJK

One in five people in Lebanon have been displaced due to the ongoing hostilities in the region. To assist those impacted, USAID partner World Food Programme has delivered vital food assistance to over 488,000 individuals since September 23 – helping families in need receive critical, life-saving support.

This is no ordinary warehouse. It’s as large as 5 football fields and the biggest warehouse run by our partner World Food Programme in Ukraine. This week, members of our USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team saw first-hand how the facility packages 10,000 food baskets a day for communities affected by Putin’s ongoing war against Ukraine. With support from the U.S. + other donors, WFP reached approximately 1.5 million across Ukraine with critical food assistance last month.

What do USAID and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have in common?? Not only do we respond to earthquakes around the world, but we also partner to deal with the effects of volcanoes and landslides. Scientists, engineers, and other technical experts from both organizations combine their know-how in our joint Volcano Disaster Assistance Program, as well as on our Earthquake Disaster Assistance Team and Landslide Disaster Assistance Team. These teams help communities around the world prepare for geological emergencies while standing ready to respond when they occur. USAID’s technical experts recently met in D.C. with their USGS counterparts to reaffirm the value of this partnership and maintain their readiness for saving lives.

When we need to solve problems and connect disaster-affected populations across vast distances with life-saving aid, we need maps. And today, we’re celebrating the USAID cartographers who are essential in visualizing the highly complex problems we face by creating these informative depictions of the world. #GISDay2024

Philippines Typhoon Response Update: This week, USAID announced an additional $1 million in humanitarian assistance for communities in the Philippines affected by Super Typhoon Man-yi, known locally as Super Typhoon Pepito. This new funding is helping partners like Action Against Hunger, seen here, reach families in Catanduanes province, one of the hardest hit areas, with water, sanitation, and hygiene supplies. Super Typhoon Man-yi is the seventh tropical cyclone to make landfall in the Philippines since late September, affecting more than 850,000 people and resulting in high levels of displacement and damage to critical infrastructure. This new funding adds to the $7+ million already provided by USAID to meet the needs of typhoon-affected populations in the Philippines so far in 2024. More here: https://lnkd.in/etgAgNwf

Today is World Toilet Day, and more than 1.5 billion people around the world still do not have basic sanitation services, such as private toilets or latrines. To put that in context, that is approximately 5 times the population of the United States. Toilets play a critical role in keeping people healthy and safe. Without toilets, deadly diseases can spread more rapidly. Toilets provide dignity, privacy, and safety. This is especially true after a disaster when people are at a higher risk of illness and death from waterborne diseases. So, to prevent people from getting sick and to keep them safe, USAID provides latrines, hygiene support and promotion, and safe drinking water. We also have sanitation & hygiene experts ready to deploy when disasters strike. #WorldToiletDay