Foreign Disaster Relief (FDR)

Purpose:

DoD provides FDR assistance in support of U.S. international disaster response efforts when unique DoD capabilities are required to save human lives.  Typical DoD support includes logistics, transportation, delivery of relief supplies, aerial reconnaissance, and search and rescue operations.  For example, DoD provided support for Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas (2019), Cyclone Idai in Mozambique (2018), an Earthquake in Indonesia (2018), Cave Search and Rescue in Thailand (2018), and Hurricanes Irma and Marie in South America (2017).

Who:

The Department of State (DOS) submits a request to the DoD Executive Secretary requesting DoD support for FDR.  The Secretary of Defense (SecDef) provides an authorization memo and subsequent tasking of the affected Combatant Command (CCMD).

DSCA ensures that OHDACA funds are available to the affected CCMD and monitors expenditures throughout the FDR operation.

CCMDs conduct FDR operations in accordance with SecDef authorization, and report to DSCA on the expenditure of OHDACA funds provided for FDR purposes.

Funding:

Two-year OHDACA appropriation.