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Humanitarian Assistance in Review: West Africa | Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 – 2017

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World
+ 22 more
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USAID
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Chronic food insecurity and acute malnutrition, cyclical drought, locust infestations, seasonal floods, disease outbreaks, and recurrent complex emergencies presented major challenges to vulnerable populations in the West Africa region during the past decade. 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 to address the impacts of a diverse range of crises, including food insecurity and malnutrition in the Sahel; complex emergencies in multiple countries; disease outbreaks, including Ebola Virus Disease (EVD); a complex emergency in the Lake Chad Basin region; cholera, meningitis, and measles outbreaks; and seasonal flooding throughout the region.

From FY 2008 to FY 2017, USAID provided nearly $3.5 billion to respond to disasters in West Africa. USAID/OFDA assistance included nearly $1.4 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; and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). USAID/FFP support included more than $2.1 billion for emergency food assistance, such as U.S. in-kind food aid, local and regional food procurement, cash transfers for food, and food vouchers. USAID/FFP also funded asset-building, nutrition and agriculture activities, as well as food security early warning systems and analysis.

Over the last decade, USAID responded to 96 disasters in West Africa. From FY 2014 to FY 2016, USAID deployed regional Disaster Assistance Response Teams (DARTs) in response to the West Africa EVD Outbreak and activated a Washington, D.C.-based Response Management Team (RMT) to support coordination and response efforts. USAID also deployed a DART to Nigeria during FY 2017 in response to the complex emergency and activated an RMT to support relief efforts across the Lake Chad Basin. In addition, USAID sent humanitarian assessment teams to Côte d’Ivoire and the Sahel in response to complex emergencies and food insecurity. In West Africa, USAID has focused on addressing immediate needs—such as food, basic relief items, health services, protection, and WASH assistance—while supporting recovery activities to build resilience against future crises, including conflict, drought, floods, below-average agricultural yields, and other shocks.