In the fall of 2008, Hurricanes Gustav and Ike slammed into the Caribbean hitting Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Cuba. The storm season took the lives of an estimated 700 people and caused severe flooding, wind damage and crop devastation throughout the island nations. The hurricanes followed on the heels of a series of tropical storms, as well as a deepening food crisis that has left many in the region vulnerable to disease and malnutrition.

Operation USA responded quickly to the disaster by coordinating with regional partners in Haiti and Cuba to deliver water purification tablets, medical supplies to pediatric hospitals, and critically needed food and nutritional aid to children affected by the storms.