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USAID Adminstrator Announces $9 million in Aid to Haiti
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 16, 2008
Press Office: 202-712-4320
Public Information: 202-712-4810
www.usaid.gov
PORT AU PRINCE, HAITI - The Administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance, Henrietta H. Fore announced today that the U.S. Government (USG) is providing $9 million to Haiti for assistance in hurricane recovery. This money is in addition to over $20 million already pledged for disaster recovery for a total of over $29 million.
"Today I would like to announce that USAID will contribute $7 million in food assistance to the emergency response following this recent spate of hurricanes that struck Haiti. This latest contribution to the U.N. Flash Appeal will enable World Food Program and PVO partners to respond to relief and recovery food aid needs in Haiti and brings the total Office of Food for Peace contribution for the Flash Appeal to $14 million to date," said Fore at the announcement today in Port au Prince.
"The additional $2 million is for the short and medium term repair of bridges and roads to facilitate the movement and distribution of emergency relief supplies. The impact of the storms on critical infrastructure such as roads and bridges has vastly complicated the relief effort by crippling land transportation. Engineering assessments are ongoing to rebuild or renovate several key bridges," said Fore.
This year has been particularly challenging for the people of Haiti. Damages from hurricanes have been extensive. At this time, more than 850,000 people are displaced from their homes. USAID's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance is working closely with the U.S. military's SOUTHCOM, the World Food Program, and others to provide assistance to those affected by these storms. Even before the hurricanes, an estimated 2.3 million Haitians were reported to have fallen into food insecurity. The prices for staple foods have increased over 40% since January, and more again since the storms.
So far this year the USG had provided $279 million in assistance to Haiti. Since these devastating hurricanes, the USG has mobilized $20.3 million for food, shelter, water, and relief activities and commodities (hygiene kits, water jugs, plastic sheeting, mosquito nets, and cooking materials)to be distributed through more than 70 missions by USAID, Homeland Security and the Department of Defense. The USS Kearsarge, which remains stationed off the coast near Port au Prince, has already transported 659 metric tons of commodities and safe drinking water.
USAID will continue to monitor the situation and will provide additional support as appropriate.
For more information about USAID's emergency humanitarian assistance programs, please visit: www.usaid.gov/our_work/humanitarian_assistance/disaster_assistance/.
The American people, through the U.S. Agency for International Development, have provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for nearly 50 years.
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