Introduction: The Dominican Republic Destruction: Hurricane Georges Gallery of Images: Health, Water and Sanitation Agricultural and Economic Reactivation Utilities Disaster Mitigation Housing Rising to the Challenge Message From Elena Brineman, Mission Director Last updated: Monday, 11-Mar-2002 07:35:20 EST

REBUILDING

The U.S. Agency for international Development (USAID) responded to Hurricane Georges with a progressively expanding effort - moving quickly from immediate relief to short-term recovery and then to long-term reconstruction efforts.

Always, the focus was on helping people recover from the destruction and be better prepared to respond to the next disaster.

Immediately after Hurricane Georges struck USAID provided $14.8 million in disaster assistance. This assistance provided emergency food, temporary shelters and fast-growing vegetable seeds, as well as emergency supplies such as generators, water tanks and water purification tablets.

One innovative effort salvaged enough felled timber to repair or reconstruct approximately 3,000 housing units and 2,500 latrines.

USAID provided $1.5 million to help farmers get back on their feet, and $6 million to vaccinate children, establish a surveillance system, repair water and sanitation systems and restore primary health care services. In partnership with USAID, the U.S. Department of Agriculture donated wheat that not only provided badly needed emergency food, but also generated about $15 million to assist thousands of small farmers recover production.

By the end of the U.S. effort, total assistance was $76.6 million, focused on hurricane relief and on repair and reconstruction of hurricane-related damage, and disaster preparedness to ensure that when the next hurricane arrives, Dominicans will be ready.

Overall the U.S. efforts in the Dominican Republic were a resounding success. By the end, the relief and reconstruction effort involved 12 U.S. government agencies, ten Dominican government agencies, more than 50 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and private companies.

More than 1.2 million people benefited directly from USAID assistance in five targeted areas including health, water and sanitation; food aid; agricultural and economic reactivation; disaster mitigation; and housing.

The reconstruction program was completed by December 31, 2001.