USAID Disaster Assistance for Hurricane Felix Emergency

September 13th, 2007.- The U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has provided U$1.4 million in disaster relief assistance for people affected by Hurricane Felix.

This assistance includes water, food, medicines, plastic sheeting, water treatment plants, cables to repair bridges and hygiene kits that have been delivered to the North Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAN) on commercial flights sent by USAID through its Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), directly from the U.S., as well as humanitarian aid procured locally.

The U.S. government’s emergency relief is reaching not only Puerto Cabezas (the main city in the RAAN), but is also being delivered to remote communities not currently accessible by ground transportation including Sahsa, Auya Pigni, Sinsin, Tasba Raya, Ninayari, Awasyari, Tamasaquia, Udkira,  Maniwatla y Colombo, among others, with the effort and support of the U.S. Army and Nicaraguan Army forces.

USAID has provided funding to the Nicaraguan Red Cross, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), Mission for Christ, and Catholic Relief Services (CRS), among other organizations with a presence in the area to provide humanitarian assistance to communities that were most affected by Hurricane Felix. Internationally, USAID has provided resources to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), to contribute to their work during the emergency.

USAID has an OFDA team of experts on disaster assistance in Managua and the affected region, that have been in contact and coordination with the Nicaraguan government institutions and organizations working on the humanitarian response, as well as with the U.S. Military Group in Nicaragua.