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Tag archives for OFDA

South African Firefighters Save Lives Halfway Around the World

Posted by  on Wednesday, December 23rd 2015     
South Africa deployed a firefighting team for an international wildfire response for the first time this summer. Their presence was proof that USAID’s investments in building local disaster response capacity are paying off. / U.S. Forest Service

Since 2009, USAID and the U.S. Forest Service have worked with South African firefighters to strengthen their ability to respond to emergencies. Wildfires half a world away demonstrated these investments in building local disaster response capacity are paying off.

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Providing Clean Water to Families Fleeing Violence in Central Darfur

Posted by  on Monday, August 24th 2015     
Triangle Generation Humanitaire and community members worked together to build more than 1,150 emergency latrines. / Triangle Génération Humanitaire

Mohammed and his family fled from village to village trying to escape ongoing violence in Sudan. Once settled in Ammar Jaded in Central Darfur, his family faced a new foe — dirty water that was making his children sick.

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Meet the Next Generation of Disaster Responders

Posted by  on Tuesday, May 26th 2015     
Jamaica is no stranger to extreme weather, having been slammed by some 50 hurricanes and tropical storms since modern-day record keeping began in the late 1880s. / Carol Han, USAID/OFDA

It’s Hurricane Preparedness Week, a national effort to help the public prepare for Atlantic hurricane season starting in June. In Jamaica, USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance supports an innovative program that transforms at-risk youth into hurricane fighters.

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Canines Deployed with USAID Help in Search for Survivors in Nepal

Posted by  on Thursday, May 21st 2015     
Teresa MacPherson of Catlett, Va., with canine responder Port in Nepal. / Kahish Das Shrestha for USAID

Rescue canine siblings Phayu and Port, from Virginia, joined USAID’s Disaster Assistance Response Team in searching for survivors after Nepal’s devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake last month.

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Riding the Growth Bubble in an Increasingly Urban World

Posted by  on Wednesday, May 6th 2015     
Shanties hug the water in Manila’s slums. / United Nations University in Bonn

In 20 years, the number of people living in urban areas will increase by about 1.4 billion. In preparation for the World Humanitarian Summit, urban experts are discussing a key issue: how to incorporate rapid urban growth into humanitarian assistance.

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Working to Beat Ebola Along the Border

Posted by  on Wednesday, April 15th 2015     
Border crossings like this one at Bo Waterside in Liberia were closed for six months due to the Ebola outbreak. / Carol Han, USAID/OFDA

Many Liberian businesses were hit hard when Ebola caused the border between Liberia and Sierra Leone to close for six months. USAID and Global Communities have built screening and triage stations so that people can safely travel between the countries again.

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How Guinea’s Journalists are Fighting to Win the War Against Ebola

Posted by  on Friday, April 10th 2015     
Meet the Ebola Chrono news team! Their radio show is breaking new ground as they were the first Guinean journalists to report from inside an Ebola treatment center. / Internews

In Guinea, where Ebola rumors abound and suspicions about the response are the talk of the street, USAID is supporting a team of local journalists who are taking dedication to news reporting to a new level.

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Anatomy of a Logistics Operation: How USAID is Equipping Ebola Fighters on the Frontlines

Posted by  on Wednesday, January 28th 2015     
Inside the cargo hold, thousands of sets of protective equipment (PPE) to protect Ebola health care workers. As of January 2015, the U.S. has transported more than 400 metric tons of medical and disaster supplies to West Africa. / Carol Han, USAID/OFDA

Transporting vital supplies and critical commodities quickly to the epicenter of an international disaster is what USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance does every day. However, the Ebola response has proved especially challenging for USAID’s disaster experts.

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Lessons Learned a Decade after the Indian Ocean Tsunami

Posted by  on Friday, December 26th 2014     
The December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was one of the worst natural disasters in recorded history, destroying lives, homes, and livelihoods. In the disaster’s immediate aftermath, USAID provided emergency support in the form of food, shelter, water, sanitation, and medical supplies. In the years that followed, USAID has continued to work alongside survivors to help affected communities rebuild and create jobs.

Ten years ago today the Indian Ocean tsunami hit land in Aceh province, Indonesia. As we mark this tragic anniversary, we also reflect on some valuable lessons learned about how we respond to disasters. Here are five.

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5 Ways USAID is Preparing for Hurricane Season

Posted by  on Tuesday, May 27th 2014     
satellite photo of a hurricane

As another Atlantic hurricane season approaches, we are reminded that it takes just one bad storm to wreak havoc, kill and injure thousands, and inflict billions of dollars in damage.

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