Washington, DC [US], December 7 (ANI): The United States hosted the fourth annual Quad Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR) Tabletop Exercise and Strategic Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii, from December 2–5, bringing together officials from the US, Australia, India, and Japan to enhance disaster-response capabilities across the Indo-Pacific.
According to a US State Department press release, the exercise “underscores the Quad’s commitment to reliable and effective lifesaving support for the people of the region.” HADR, a founding pillar of the Quad partnership, remains a cornerstone of efforts to advance peace, security, prosperity, and resilience in the Indo-Pacific.
Highlighting a recent example of collaboration, the State Department noted that the Quad’s coordinated response to the devastating earthquake in Burma earlier this year demonstrated the bloc’s ability to mobilize resources and deliver life-saving assistance rapidly.
“Our coordinated delivery of humanitarian assistance in response to the devastating earthquake in Burma in March this year was a testament to the Quad’s ability to mobilise resources and rapidly deliver life-saving assistance,” the release stated.
The HADR meeting coincided with another key engagement in New Delhi. On December 4–5, the third Quad Counter Terrorism Working Group (CTWG) meeting convened representatives from India, Japan, Australia, and the United States to review joint counter-terrorism efforts. In a joint statement, Quad partners condemned terrorism in all forms, including cross-border attacks, and expressed condolences for the November 10 terror attack near Delhi’s Red Fort, which left fifteen people dead and more than two dozen injured. The National Investigation Agency is currently investigating the incident.
The Quad members called for the perpetrators, organizers, and financiers of the attack to be brought to justice and urged UN member states to cooperate in this regard. The CTWG meeting is part of India’s rotation hosting the next Quad Summit and was established during the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi in March 2023 to deepen counter-terrorism cooperation among the four nations. (ANI)
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