Press Releases 2007

USAID Airlifts Hurricane Assistance Commodities to Jamaica

The U.S. Government through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) airlifted humanitarian assistance commodities to Jamaica yesterday to help meet the emergency needs identified after a category 4 hurricane struck southern regions of the country on August 19.  The shipment consists of 560 rolls of plastic sheeting, 6,250 blankets, 5,000 water containers and 2,590 family hygiene kits with a value of approximately US$298,000, including transport.

The airlift was met at Kingston’s Norman Manley International Airport by U.S. Ambassador Brenda LaGrange Johnson, USAID Jamaica Acting Director James Harmon, and Ronald Jackson, director general of Jamaica’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management.

These commodities are in addition to the US$275,000 provided to Jamaica, which includes US$25,000 in preparedness assistance and US$250,000 for emergency response activities, such as local procurement of emergency relief supplies, aerial assessments of hurricane damages, and support for emergency health activities.  In total, USAID has provided US$573,000 in assistance to Jamaica for preparedness for and response to Hurricane Dean.

A USAID six-person disaster assessment team remains on the island to work with Jamaican disaster response officials and coordinate support with USAID/Jamaica and the U.S. Embassy.

Since 2000, USAID has provided more than US$142 million in response to the devastating effects of hurricanes and tropical storms throughout the Caribbean and Central America.

For more information about USAID's emergency humanitarian assistance programs, the public can visit: www.usaid.gov/our_work/humanitarian_assistance/disaster_assistance/