USAID Weekly
ISSUE VI • AUGUST 21
Top Story
USAID Sends Additional Earthquake Assistance to Peru
 WASHINGTON – The U.S. Government through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced it will provide an additional $200,000 towards the local purchase and transport of emergency relief supplies to those affected by the August 15 earthquake that took place off the coast of Peru. This funding is in addition to the $100,000 previously provided, bringing total USAID funding for assistance in the aftermath of the quake to $300,000.
In addition to funding and the now six member USAID emergency assessment team on the ground, the Agency is deploying a support team of three specially trained technicians along with a module of communications and life-support equipment and commodities to assist the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team. These technicians come from Virginia's Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, which operates internationally under an agreement with USAID. The support team and module will assist the UNDAC team with setting up one or more operations and coordination centers in the affected region. (Source)
Top Story
Hurricane Dean Response
WASHINGTON - On August 19, Hurricane Dean hit Jamaica as a category four hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Jamaica's Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management estimates that at least 300,000 people will be affected by Hurricane Dean, particularly communities located in the southern part of the island that were impacted by hurricanes Emily, Ivan, and Wilma in 2004 and 2005.
USAID has 22 emergency staff positioned throughout the Caribbean, Central America, and Mexico to respond to Hurricane Dean. Working closely with USAID Missions and U.S. Embassy staff, USAID emergency teams will conduct damage assessments, identify needs, and coordinate assistance with local disaster officials.
USAID is closely tracking the progress of Hurricane Dean as it nears Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. A six-person emergency assessment team is located in Mexico, including three disaster managers in the Yucatan, to work with Mexican authorities and the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City in the event that international assistance is requested. (Source)
USAID World News
In The News
USAID Donation Helps Strengthen Global Humanitarian Response
The Agency announced it will make a nearly $4.6 million dollar donation to the United Nations Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Humanitarian Assistance Cluster Appeals…
USAID to Help North Koreans Affected by Floods
Acting Administrator Henrietta Fore authorized $100,000 in United States government humanitarian aid to help respond to the severe destructive impact of recent floods in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)…
Telling Our Story
Broadcasting for Better Health in Afghanistan
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REACH/ M. Kabir |
“We want to convey priority health messages in ways that both inform and entertain.”
- Qudsia Hasimi, workshop participant
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