USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) provides life-saving humanitarian assistance—including food, water, shelter, emergency healthcare, sanitation and hygiene, and critical nutrition services— to the world’s most vulnerable and hardest-to-reach people.
BHA is the lead federal coordinator for international disaster assistance, harnessing the expertise and unique capacities of other U.S. government entities to effectively respond to natural disasters and complex crises around the world.
BHA takes a holistic look at humanitarian aid, providing assistance before, during and after a crisis—from readiness and response, to relief and recovery. This includes non-emergency programming that is foundational to linking humanitarian assistance to long-term development and the journey to self-reliance.
Our Legacy
In 2020, the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance was established to streamline USAID humanitarian responses, bringing together the vast expertise and resources of the former USAID Offices of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) and Food for Peace (FFP).
In Washington, D.C., the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance comprises seven offices.
- Office of Africa
- Office of Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean
- Office of Middle East, North Africa, and Europe
- Office of Global Policy, Programs, Partnerships, and Communications
- Office of Technical and Program Quality
- Office of Field and Response Operations
- Office of Humanitarian Business and Management Operations
Leadership
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Sarah Charles
Assistant to the Administrator
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Sarah Charles is the Assistant to the Administrator of Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA).
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Marcia Wong
Deputy Assistant to the Administrator
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Marcia Wong is a Deputy Assistant to the Administrator of USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA).
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Larry Sacks
Deputy Assistant to the Administrator
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Larry Sacks serves as the Deputy Assistant to the Administrator of USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA).
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Matthew Nims
Deputy Assistant to the Administrator
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Matthew Nims serves as the Deputy Assistant to the Administrator of USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA).
Latest News From This Bureau
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Administrator Samantha Power on CNN International with Zain Asher
December 15, 2022
Welcoming UN Security Council Vote to Protect Humanitarian Aid
December 9, 2022
Administrator Samantha Power Meets With Ukrainian Ambassador To The U.S. Oksana Markarova
November 15, 2022
Administrator Samantha Power’s TV Interview With Raneem Bou Khzam Of The Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The United Nations said on Thursday it will not have a role in the Iraqi Kurdish referendum on independence planned to be held in September.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) said in a statement released on Thursday that “it has no intention to be engaged in any way or form as concerns the referendum, to be held on 25 September”.
Iraq’s Kurds said the referendum on independence will go ahead despite warnings from western powers that a vote in favor of secession could trigger conflict with Baghdad at a time when the war against Islamic State is not yet won.
The Kurds are playing a major role in the U.S.-backed campaign to defeat Islamic State (IS), the ultra-hardline Sunni Islamist group that overran about a third of Iraq three years ago and also controls parts of Syria.