Typhoon Bopha: How USAID, Partners Are Delivering Humanitarian Assistance

Typhoon Bopha made landfall in the Philippines on December 4, 2012, affecting more than 5 million people and wreaking a path of destruction across 30 provinces. USAID responded swiftly by providing more than $4.5 million in assistance to help meet the most critical needs of those affected by the storm.

With staff prepositioned in the Philippines prior to the storm, USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) was the first on the ground to reach the hardest-hit areas, identify needs, assess humanitarian conditions and provide assistance in coordination with the Philippine government. In addition, USAID/OFDA arranged for an airlift of emergency shelter supplies from its warehouse in Dubai to help 20,000 families who had lost their homes. USAID/OFDA also reached out to the U.S. military to provide additional air support for the immediate transport of relief commodities from Manila to the most affected areas.

USAID/OFDA continues to work with our partners in the Philippines to help communities hit hard by the typhoon.