sept-2017c

22 23 T he United States government,through the United StatesAgency for International Develop- ment’s Office of US ForeignDisasterAssistance (USAID/OFDA),is providing assistance to the government and people of Antigua and Barbuda follow- ing the recent passage of Hurricane Irma. Working in partnershipwithAntigua and Barbuda’s Red Cross,the United States government will provide US$100,000 in immediate disaster relief for essential relief items includingmattresses,bedding,hygiene kits, kitchen sets,kits,and clean-up equipment. The catastrophicCategory5 stormdecimated the small- er of the twin-island state,damaging 90 percent of its buildings and leaving the country“barelyhabitable”before continuing on its destructive path across the region. AUSAID/OFDAassessment team is on the ground in Antigua to conduct further assessments to determine what additional assistance is needed,following the pas- sage of Hurricane José. USAID/OFDAis continuing tomonitor the impacts of ongoingweather systems,and has deployed response teams to countries in the projected path of the storms. Disaster experts are prepared to conduct damage as- sessments and provide immediate assistance to affected countries as soon as conditions permit. USAID supports a number of international NGOandUN partners in the region that are equipped to immediately provide assistance to hard-hit areas.As the US govern- ment’s lead federal coordinator for international disaster response,USAID’s Office of US ForeignDisasterAssistance is coordinatingwith disaster officials in the region,as well as withUS embassies in countries that could potentially be impacted by these stormevents. USAIDAdministrator MarkGreen called PrimeMin- ister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda to convey the condolences and support of the United States to the people of that island nation following the destruction wrought byHurricane Irma. Green and Browne discussed urgent needs on the ground,and the administrator reiteratedUSAID’s com- mitment to provide immediate humanitarian assistance, including critical relief items. NotingUSAID’s50-yearpartnershipwiththenation,Green expressedsolidaritywiththepeopleandgovernmentofAnti- guaandBarbuda inthisdifficult time,andofferedhisprayers. USAIDhasdeployedadisaster assistance response teamto the region,andwill continue tocoordinatecloselywithgov- ernmentsandcivil-societypartners toprovideassistance. HURRICANE IRMA / HURRICANE MARIA B ritish Foreign SecretaryBoris Johnson flew into Barbados onTuesdaySept.12,and transferred to amilitaryflight directlyup toAnguilla.OnWednesdayhe visited the BritishVirgin Islands before returning to the UK. Johnson viewed the devastation caused byHur- ricane Irma and the UK’s relief effort first hand.He met governors of the affected territories and others who are leading the recoverywork,and visited com- munities working to repair the extensive damage theyhave suffered. The UKhas amajor response effort underway. More than 990 troops and 50 police officers have been deployed to support the islands and distribute aid. Before he left forAnguilla,the Foreign Secretary thanked all thosewho had been supporting the humanitarianwork for theOverseasTerritories. He added,“We [the UK] don’t underestimate the scale of the tragedy,the scale of suffering that peo- ple have endured over the last fewdays.But I think from talking to the governors of these islands,what is reallycoming through tome is the resilience of local communities and theway theyare pulling to- gether and theway theyare determined to rebuild their lives,andwe’re here to help.” BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY VISITS ANGUILLA AND BVI PHOTO: FCO/YOUTUBE USAID LENDING ASSISTANCE TO STORM-RAVAGED BARBUDA