The Colombian Army’s urban search and rescue (USAR) team, USAR-COL13, of the Disaster Attention Engineer Brigade, put its ground humanitarian aid capabilities to the test to earn the highest classification for search and rescue in collapsed structures, the Colombian Military Forces’ General Command (CGFM) said in a statement. “With this [ … ]
Rapid Response


Brazilian Armed Forces Support Humanitarian Relief Efforts in Bahia
Service members from the Brazilian Navy (MB, in Portuguese), Brazilian Army (EB, in Portuguese) and Brazilian Air Force (FAB, in Portuguese) are working in support of the state of emergency due to heavy rains that have been plaguing the south of Bahia state, in the country’s northeast region. More than [ … ]

Brazil Delivers More Donations and Humanitarian Aid to Haiti
The Brazilian Air Force (FAB, in Portuguese) carried out another humanitarian aid mission to Haiti and sent five tons of food, medicines, solar panels, and water purifiers aboard a KC-390 Millennium aircraft that took off on September 11, 2021. The operation was part of a joint effort by the ministries [ … ]

U.S. Airlifts Haitians To Safety After Earthquake
U.S. emergency workers are rushing to assist Haiti after a massive earthquake, searching for survivors, airlifting them to hospitals and delivering urgent humanitarian assistance. President Biden authorized an immediate response after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on August 14. The earthquake killed at least 2,200 people and injured more [ … ]

Argentine Gendarmerie Seizes More than 4 Tons of Marijuana
On June 21, the Argentine National Gendarmerie (GNA, in Spanish) seized more than 4 tons of marijuana in Misiones province, on the border with Paraguay. Authorities found the marijuana during border control and surveillance operations, the GNA reported in several statements. During the first operation, a patrol of gendarmes located [ … ]

Countries of the Region Support St. Vincent Following Volcano Emergency
One week after the La Soufrière volcano erupted on the island of St. Vincent, member nations of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and other countries of the region continue to offer their support to the Vincentian government by opening their borders to receive evacuees and providing emergency supplies and equipment. The [ … ]

Colombian Military Committed to Reconstruction Efforts in Islands Hit by Hurricane Iota
Four months after Hurricane Iota devastated the Colombian Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia, and Santa Catalina, the Colombian Military Forces continue to show their dedication to the affected communities. In mid-March, the Colombian Navy amphibious landing ship ARC Golfo de Urabá provided additional logistics support and humanitarian aid to the [ … ]

Chilean Armed Forces Support the Fight against Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling
Since mid-January, the Chilean Armed Forces have had a new role: countering human trafficking and migrant smuggling, a growing regional problem. On January 12, Chilean President Sebastián Piñera signed a decree that enables support of the Armed Forces in border control to combat illegal migration. This decree expands a law [ … ]

US Army Supports Reconstruction of Colombian Islands after Hurricane Iota
The U.S. Army deployed its amphibious landing ship USAV Chickahominy (LCU 2011) in Colombia to help the Colombian Military Forces transport humanitarian assistance to the San Andrés and Providencia archipelago, in response to the emergency caused by Hurricane Iota, which devastated much of the islands on November 16, 2020. The [ … ]

JTF-Bravo Concludes Disaster Relief Efforts
After nearly a month of supporting foreign humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (FHA/DR) operations under authorities granted by the U.S. Acting Secretary of Defense, at the request of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) and Joint Task Force Bravo (JTF-Bravo) concluded immediate response missions for hurricanes [ … ]

JTF-Bravo Assets Return from Guatemala, Continue Relief Support in Honduras
A task force of approximately 25 people and three aircraft assigned to the 1st Battalion, 228th Aviation Regiment, Joint Task Force Bravo (JTF-Bravo) returned to Honduras from Guatemala City, Guatemala, on November 28. Their return comes after the U.S. military personnel rapidly deployed to Guatemala City for a second time [ … ]

Four Ways USAID is Responding to Hurricanes Iota and Eta
On November 16, Hurricane Iota made landfall as a category 5 storm with sustained winds of nearly 155 mph. This comes just two weeks after Hurricane Eta brought heavy rains, severe flooding, and landslides to many of the same areas. An estimated 4.9 million people were affected by Hurricane Eta [ … ]