EARTHQUAKE RECOVERY PROGRAM (ERP)

Program Overview (2001-2005)

El Salvador President Elias Antonio Saca (3rd left) gives a house ownership title to a beneficiary of USAID’s Earthquake Recovery Program (ERP), during the program close out ceremony held in La Nueva Cruzadilla de San Juan, in Jiquilisco, Usulutan, on July 20, 2005.  U.S. Ambassador Douglas Barclay (2nd right) and USAID Director Mark Silverman (right) attended the ceremony.  Photo by USAID.

The ERP activity that ended in January 2005 met the critical needs of selected communities affected by the 2001 earthquakes, under the theme of “building back better” to ensure that the facilities that USAID financed would withstand future earthquakes to the maximum extent possible.

Four point reconstruction program:

• Restoration of basic community infrastructure for the rural poor.
  
  
• Economic reactivation in the affected rural areas, working with micro/small businesses and farmers.
  
  
• Mitigation of the potential adverse effects of future natural disasters.
  
  
• Refurbishment of municipal government infrastructure.

USAID Reconstruction Program contributed to the following achievements:

Community Infrastructure

• 26,872 permanent houses reconstructed in 110 municipalities.
  
  
• 53 schools reconstructed.
  
  
• 30 rural childcare centers rebuilt and equipped.
  
  
• The National Rehabilitation Center for People with Disabilities (FUNTER) was reconstructed and the organization is functioning in the expanded facilities.
  
  
• AmeriCares health clinic in Santiago de Maria, Usulutan, completed and in operation.
  
  
• Five major public health clinics reconstructed.
  
  
• Friends of America’s mobile health clinic served 18,500 patients in three departments.  Once this activity was completed, the clinic was transferred to the Comité de Proyección Social, a local NGO, and is continuing operations.
  
  
• Replacements of equipment and supplies were delivered to 1,660 community health promoters and midwives to serve health care needs of rural residents.
  
  
• 65 water systems serving 142,098 people and 33,376 latrines serving 175,735 people have been completed.  Three hundred small water reservoirs, 230 small irrigation systems, and 400 small grain silos were completed.

Economic Reactivation

• A $1.1 million voucher program helped 2,521 micro and small businesses to replace productive assets damaged by the earthquakes.  Out of this number, 76 per cent were women.  This activity ended in 2002 and helped recipients achieve pre-earthquake sales levels.
  
  
• Assistance to 11 micro-finance institutions has helped increase economic activity of earthquake affected clients, reduced client debt and helped expand client coverage.
  
  
• Small and micro enterprise strengthening programs for local and export markets helped 2,400 enterprises increase annual sales levels by 10-15 per cent.
  
  
• The export promotion project reported $11 million in new exports by Salvadoran micro, small, and medium scale enterprises; 90 Wal-Mart stores on the East coast are selling products from Salvadoran exporters (Sweet’s, Pan Monico, Pahnas and Alimentos Cuscatlan).
  
  
• Three markets reconstructed in San Vicente, Santiago de Maria and Tecoluca.
  
  
• The program to help artisans expand handicraft sales created 1,400 new products, generated 1,275 new jobs and new sales valued at more than $982,000.
  
  
• Assistance was provided to 13,893 small farmers, and 1,500 small coffee producers now have value-added processing facilities.  Moreover, 979 growers/processors in 54 municipalities working in agricultural diversification achieved product sales of $6.53 million.  Those working in non-earthquake areas achieved another $7 million in sales.  Also, 43 greenhouses and a waxed cassava packing facility were developed.  Five thousand new jobs were created.
  
  
• Thirty-two small community infrastructure projects were completed (six bridges, seven water systems, six rural clinics, and 13 road improvement activities), benefiting thousands of people.
  
  
• 152,000 children and elderly were fed under a targeted distribution program for one year.  The targeted primary school feeding program benefited 43,000 rural children.

Disaster Mitigation

• The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) established a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) database for the program and completed the installation of three flood monitoring gauges; provided assistance in seismic, hydrologic, landslide and flooding monitoring; developed GIS systems for five municipalities; and carried out four flood hazard and site assessments.
  
  
• The Research Triangle Institute completed disaster mitigation planning for 17 municipalities.  The American Red Cross completed 30 Municipal Disaster Mitigation plans, 30 Land Use Maps and 90 Emergency School Plans.
  
  
• Twenty-one risk mitigation projects were completed and a total of 1,208 hectares were protected by mitigation projects.
  
  
• The Centers for Disease Control helped the Ministry of Health to implement the National Disease Surveillance system covering 27 local health districts.  

Municipal Infrastructure

• USG financed equipment was installed in a new building enabling the Attorney General’s Office to resume operations after its offices were destroyed during the earthquakes.
  
  
• Nineteen municipal centers were constructed by the GOES and two U.S. NGOs.