JP 3-0, page 131

Joint Operations Across the Range of Military Operations V-25 For additional guidance on PO, refer to JP 3-07.3, Peace Operations. c. Foreign Humanitarian Assistance. FHA operations relieve or reduce the impact of natural or man-made disasters or other endemic conditions such as human pain, disease, hunger, or privation in countries or regions outside the United States. These operations are different from nation assistance primarily because they occur on short notice to provide aid in specific crises or similar events rather than as more deliberate programs to promote long-term regional stability. FHA provided by US forces is generally limited in scope and duration; it is intended to supplement or complement efforts of HN civil authorities or agencies with the primary responsibility for providing assistance. DOD provides assistance when the need for relief is gravely urgent and when the humanitarian emergency dwarfs the ability of normal relief agencies to effectively respond. (1) The US military is capable of rapidly responding to emergencies or disasters and restoring relative order in austere locations. US forces may provide logistics, planning, and communications resources required to initiate and sustain FHA operations. (2) FHA operations may be directed by the President or SecDef when a serious international situation threatens the political or military stability of a region considered of interest to the United States, or when SecDef deems the humanitarian situation itself sufficient and appropriate for employment of US forces. DOS or the US Ambassador in country is responsible for declaring a foreign disaster or situation that requires US Navy Sailors and members of Joint Task Force-Bravo working with Project Handclasp, a San Diego-based organization, unload humanitarian supplies in Honduras in 2007. US forces can effectively assist civilian humanitarian organizations such as Project Handclasp by accepting and transporting educational, humanitarian, and goodwill material overseas on a space-available basis aboard military ships and aircraft.