1. Department of Defense Support to Foreign Disaster Relief Operations INTERHANDS Seminar Mr. John Christiansen 24 October 2000

2. 2 Agenda Foreign Disaster Relief Overview Hurricane Mitch - A Wake-Up Call Disaster Preparedness Pays Off –Seminars –Exercises –Disaster Relief Warehouses Belize

3. 3 Foreign Disaster Relief Overview US military is not an instrument of first resort in responding to humanitarian crises –DoD supports civil relief agencies and US country teams; it does not lead the efforts However, US military may be involved when: –Disaster exceeds the response capabilities of civilian relief agencies – There is urgent need for immediate relief –US military has unique assets to contribute When the US military does become involved: –The military mission should be clearly defined –The risks should be minimal –The involvement should aim at jump-starting civilian relief efforts –The exit conditions should be clear

4. 4 Requesting Disaster Relief Support from DoD Host Nation Request for Support from US Embassy State Department Transmits Formal Request to DoD 1. Request made; Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) Validates Request DoD Staffs Request with Appropriate Offices 2. Formal Request transmitted to DOD The Joint Staff 3. Request Approved and Execute Memo signed out to Joint Staff Regional Command

5. 5 Hurricane Mitch - A Wake-Up Call Background Hurricane Mitch struck Central America in fall of 1998 9,000 dead; 9,000 missing, presumed dead Storm damage over USD $4 Billion US and International Assistance DoD provided over 7,000 soldiers and spent more then US $100 million; SAR, provision and transport of supplies, rudimentary road repair USAID provided more than US $25 million for relief activities More than 30 countries and numerous Non-Governmental (NGO) and International Organizations (IO) contributed to response UN recorded contributions of USD $403 million

6. 6 Hurricane Mitch Hurricane Mitch struck Central America on

7. 7 DISASTER PREPARDNESS PAYS-OFF...helped to mitigate the affects of disasters. Increased regional cooperation throughout the years has... FA-HUM 98 Guatemala FA-HUM 99 Miami, Florida FA-HUM 00 Dominican Republic FA-HUM 01 Costa Rica DP Seminar Central America DP Seminar Southern Cone DP Seminar Caribbean DP Seminar Andean Ridge

8. OFDA CDERA FEMA DoD Cooperation with Federal and Regional Partners Disaster Relief Exercises Disaster Relief Conferences Humanitarian Exercises Warehouse Initiatives PAHO OTHER (NGO’s, PVO’s)

9. 9 Excess Property (EP): Disaster Relief Supplies/Equipment Medical Supplies/Equipment School Supplies/Equipment Other Humanitarian Assistance : Search and Rescue (SAR) Training Engineer Technical Support Disaster Management Training Disaster/Technical/Logistical/ Medical Assessments Medical: Disease/Vector Control Veterinary Services Medical Equipment Repair and Training Disease Surveillance System Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Training Post Disaster Stress Management Training Medical/Dental Services DoD Humanitarian Assistance Program (HAP) “Powerful Engagement Tool” Types of Projects and Activities

10. 10 CDERA DR Warehouse System (Building Self Sufficiency) JAMAICA ANTIGUA BARBADOS TRINIDAD CDERA

11. 11 National Disaster Relief Warehouses (Building Self Sufficiency) JAMAICA ANTIGUA BARBADOS TRINIDAD CDERA REGIONAL NATIONAL CEPREDENAC

12. 12 Hurricane Keith Background Made landfall in Belize on 3 October Government of Belize requested USG assistance on 2 October Greatest damage reported on the islands of Caye Culker and San Pedro 60,000 homes destroyed, thousands more damaged US and International Assistance SOUTHCOM Humanitarian Assistance Program (HAP) Disaster Relief and Supplies (USD $500K) in place to empower Belize Civil Defense HAP donations utilized to support Belize relief effort DoD provided lift support for assorted medical and relief supplies USAID deployed a DART team and a GO team from Miami with hygiene kits British Navy provided five helos and a ship that produce potable water

13. 13 Lessons Learned Prepare to prevent damage rather than to recover from it Civil-military integration must be practiced! Detailed, accurate assessments are vital Emergency care does not equal rehabilitation needs or reconstruction requirements Logistics control is vital Work with the media; ensure accuracy