Overview of East Asia Assistance, October 2024
- Japan, the Republic of Korea (ROK), and Taiwan are vulnerable to natural disasters, including earthquakes, floods, tropical cyclones, tsunamis, and volcanic activity. Seismic activity in the region is high, resulting in frequent earthquakes and the development of tsunamis.
- A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Japan’s Noto Peninsula on January 1, 2024, and resulted in at least 92 deaths and injury to more than 240 others. In April 2024, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Taiwan’s Hualien County, causing at least 18 deaths and injury to more than 1,100 people.
- Additionally, recurrent tropical cyclones result in heavy rainfall, flooding, landslides, and damaging winds across the three countries. Five tropical cyclones made landfall over Japan between August and September 2024, including Tropical Storm Pulasan in mid-September, which caused flooding and landslides that affected communities on Noto Peninsula still recovering from the January earthquake.
- Climate change is projected to increase the risk of drought in East Asia in the coming decades due to the disruption of rainfall patterns, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The intensity and frequency of tropical cyclones in the region are also expected to rise, exacerbating the risk of flooding and landslides. More frequent natural disasters may contribute to the loss of livelihoods and damage critical infrastructure.
- USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID/BHA) programs in East Asia focus on disaster risk reduction (DRR) and supporting the existing capacity of local, regional, and national disaster management authorities to bolster preparedness for and resilience to natural disasters.
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