THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT, through the United States Agency for International Development’s Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA), is providing assistance to the Government and people of Antigua and Barbuda following the recent passage of Hurricane Irma.
Working in partnership with Antigua and Barbuda’s Red Cross, the United States Government will provide US$100 000 in immediate disaster relief for essential relief items including mattresses, bedding, hygiene kits, kitchen sets, kits, and clean-up equipment.
The catastrophic category five hurricane decimated the smaller of the twin-island state, damaging 90 per cent of its buildings and leaving the country “barely habitable” before continuing on its destructive path across the region. A USAID/OFDA assessment team is expected to be on the ground in Antigua next week to conduct further assessments to determine what additional assistance is needed, following the passage of Hurricane José.
USAID/OFDA is continuing to monitor the impacts of on-going weather systems, and has deployed response teams to countries in the projected path of the storms. Disaster experts are prepared to conduct damage assessments and provide immediate assistance to affected countries as soon as conditions permit.
USAID supports a number of international NGO and UN partners in the region that are equipped to immediately provide assistance to hard-hit areas. As the US Government’s lead federal coordinator for international disaster response, USAID’s Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance is coordinating with disaster officials in the region, as well as with US embassies in countries that could potentially be impacted by these storm events. (PR)
