Skip to main content

Humanitarian Assistance in Review: Southern Africa | Fiscal Years (FYs) 2010 – 2019

Countries
World
+ 15 more
Sources
USAID
Publication date

Complex emergencies, cyclical drought, cyclones, disease outbreaks, floods, and food insecurity present significant challenges to vulnerable populations throughout the Southern Africa region. Between FY 2010 and FY 2019, 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 range of natural and man‑made crises, including droughts and floods across the region; cyclones affecting Comoros, Madagascar, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe; a complex emergency in Zimbabwe; earthquakes in Comoros and Malawi; locust outbreaks in Madagascar; and refugees in the region.

Between FY 2010 and FY 2019, USAID provided nearly $1.1 billion to assist disaster-affected populations in Southern Africa. Of the total, USAID/FFP contributed approximately $869 million for emergency food and nutrition assistance, including U.S.-sourced food; locally and regionally purchased food; cash transfers for food; food vouchers, and related activities, while USAID/OFDA provided nearly $270 million for agriculture; health; humanitarian coordination and information management; livelihoods; logistics; nutrition; protection; shelter and settlements; and water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance.

In the last decade, USAID responded to 52 disasters in Southern Africa, with cyclones, drought, and floods representing the most frequent emergencies.

Additionally, in FY 2019, USAID deployed humanitarian teams to the region, including a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to Mozambique to lead the U.S. Government’s response to the humanitarian impacts of tropical cyclones Idai and Kenneth, and activated a Washington, D.C.-based Response Management Team (RMT) to further support coordination and cyclone response efforts.