The U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is providing $400,000 in immediate assistance to support the response to Tropical Cyclone Harold, which unleashed severe destruction during its week-long path across the southern Pacific Islands.

With this funding, USAID is working with partners on the ground in Fiji, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu to provide shelter assistance and critical relief items in affected areas.

The United States is also carefully monitoring the potential impact of the pandemic of COVID-19 in the Pacific, including in the countries affected by Tropical Cyclone Harold, and through USAID is providing more than $3 million to assist communities in Pacific Island nations as they respond to the virus that causes COVID-19.

USAID has long-standing programs that work year-round with governments and civil society in Pacific Island countries to prepare for, and respond to, humanitarian disasters. These programs to reduce the risk of disasters include training and support for national Red Cross Societies, which have mobilized to support the response to both COVID-19 and Tropical Cyclone Harold in Pacific Island countries, including Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Fiji, and Tonga.