According to the agency, the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) will “lead the US government’s response efforts in Pakistan,” where at least 1,100 people have been killed and at least 4,800 injured in floods across the country since June 14.
A USAID spokesman told CNN on Friday that “four members of the DART are on the ground in Pakistan working to assess the situation and determine how the United States can work with the government of Pakistan to provide additional resources.”
More members of the team are on their way, and “the DART will remain active in the field until USAID can determine that the need is met,” the spokesman said.
According to the spokesman, the Department of Defense “is sending an assessment team to Islamabad to determine what potential assistance the US Department of Defense can provide to USAID as part of United States assistance to the flood crisis in Pakistan.” They said the aid “remains in close coordination with the Department of Defense to determine the necessary support for our response.”
“In addition to mobilizing the DART, U.S. government officials in the region and in Washington, DC are closely monitoring the situation, including any potential impact the flooding may have in the wider region,” the agency said in a Friday news release.
Earlier this week, USAID announced the US would provide $30 million in humanitarian assistance in response to the floods, which they said have “affected an estimated 33 million people,” one million homes were destroyed or damaged, and Loss of “nearly 735,000 livestock – an important source of livelihood and food.”
“Using these funds, USAID partners will prioritize much-needed support for food, nutrition, multipurpose money, clean water, improved sanitation and hygiene, and shelter assistance,” the agency’s press release said.