After failed attempts to respond to the 1963 Skopje earthquake in Yugoslavia and the eruption of the Irazú Volcano in Costa Rica , the U.S. government decided to create a central , coordinating agency to lead U.S. international disaster response efforts . In 1964 , OFDA was established under the Foreign Assistance Act with the appointment of a Foreign Disaster Relief Coordinator within USAID
1963 Skopje earthquake
1963 Skopje earthquake
Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance