Washington, Dec. 7 -- 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 strengthen our disaster-response capabilities across the Indo-Pacific.

According to a press release issued by the US State Department, the exercise "underscores the Quad's commitment to reliable and effective lifesaving support for the people of the region."

The Department said HADR is a founding pillar of the Quad partnership and a cornerstone of the group's efforts to advance peace, security, prosperity and resilience in the Indo-Pacific.

"As a founding pillar of t...