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Humanitarian Assistance in Review: East and Central Africa | Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 – 2016

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World
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USAID
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A variety of natural hazards—including cyclical drought, floods, and environmental degradation—are endemic to the East and Central Africa (ECA) region, where conflict, rapid population growth, and limited government response capacity have compounded humanitarian needs over the last decade. Between FY 2007 and FY 2016, 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 emergencies, including flooding across the region, drought and food insecurity in the Horn of Africa, postelection violence in Kenya, disease outbreaks in multiple countries, and complex emergencies in CAR, DRC, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan.

Between FY 2007 and FY 2016, USAID provided more than $12.9 billion to respond to disasters in the ECA region. USAID/OFDA assistance included more than $2.9 billion 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; and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). USAID/FFP support included approximately $10 billion for food assistance in the form of U.S.-purchased food, locally and regionally purchased food, cash transfers, food vouchers, and related activities, such as asset-building activities, vocational training for vouchers, nutrition sensitization, and support for UN World Food Program special operations.

USAID responded to 97 disasters in ECA during the last decade, providing life-saving assistance to people in need. Following recurring periods of below-average agricultural yields, droughts, and floods, USAID programs improved livestock health and crop production, strengthened the management of acute malnutrition, supported livelihoods activities, and improved WASH conditions.

USAID has frequently deployed humanitarian teams to the region, including seven Disaster Assistance Response Teams (DARTs) responding to complex emergencies in DRC, Kenya, Somalia, and South Sudan, El Niño-related drought in Ethiopia, and two regional food security crises in the Horn of Africa between FY 2007 and FY 2016. USAID also activated multiple Washington, D.C.-based Response Management Teams to support coordination and response efforts.