2009 Caribbean Hurricanes |
Disaster Assistance at a Glance
Affected Countries:
El Salvador
OFDA Response:
Emergency relief supplies, emergency shelter repair supplies
OFDA Preparedness:
Disaster preparedness, response, and management; Risk reduction
Final OFDA Report:
Hurricane Season Fact Sheet #1 (45kb PDF) (map)
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The countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) are highly vulnerable to a range of natural hazards, including earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, tsunamis, landslides, volcanoes, and drought. Each year, OFDA actively prepares for the Atlantic hurricane season, and OFDA staff in the San José, Costa Rica regional office, as well as in Washington, D.C., standby to deploy to affected areas as storms hit. OFDA staff work closely with USAID missions and U.S. embassies to assess damage, identify needs, and coordinate assistance with local disaster officials. OFDA maintains a warehouse of humanitarian commodities in Miami, Florida, and coordinates the rapid airlift of commodities to affected areas when needs arise.
In 2009, heavy, constant rain fell in El Salvador as an indirect effect of recent tropical depressions and Hurricane Ida, causing significant damage to necessitate OFDA humanitarian assistance. In response, OFDA provided $100,000 for the local purchase of water, blankets, and aviation fuel to assist affected populations. In addition, OFDA deployed disaster response experts to assist with damage evaluations and OFDA airlifted relief commodities, worth $180,000 including transport, to El Salvador.
Recognizing these vulnerabilities, OFDA supports disaster preparedness and mitigation programs aimed at reducing loss of human life, alleviating suffering, and lessening the social and economic impacts of disasters. These programs include risk identification, prioritization, and reduction, as well as post-disaster recovery and short-term rehabilitation projects. In the LAC region, OFDA promotes local and national self-sufficiency in disaster preparedness and management. OFDA-supported programs build upon and strengthen the capacity of established national and regional disaster management institutions, many of which already have the ability to meet most emergency needs after an event. In FY 2009, OFDA provided more than $18 million for new and ongoing disaster preparedness and mitigation projects in LAC region.
For information on USAID's hurricane recovery and reconstruction programs, please see here.
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