USAID Provides Disaster Assistance to Honduras

Honduras Weekly
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) yesterday announced it will donate US$25,000 to Save the Children in Honduras to procure and distribute 1,000 personal hygiene kits, 600 kitchen kits, 600 mattresses, and 600 mattress covers to people who have been evacuated from flooded areas of the country in recent days and are living in temporary shelters. On Sunday, President Porfirio Lobo declared a state of emergency in southern Honduras following torrential rains that have caused severe flooding in several departments, especially Choluteca and Valle which are under red alert status. The departments of Atlántida, Colón, Comayagua, Copán, Cortés, La Paz, Intibucá, Lempira, Ocotepeque, and Santa Bárbara are under a yellow alert, as is the city of Tegucigalpa. A total of 14 people have died thus far as a consequence of the floods and 10,394 have been evacuated from their communities. US Ambassador Lisa Kubiske expressed her country's solidarity with the people of Honduras.

In a communiqué, Ambassador Kubiske stated, "The United States government continues to monitor the situation in the affected zones and is working together with the Honduran government to identify the most immediate needs. USAID and the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) have already deployed a team of disaster specialists to the affected zones. The specialists are working jointly with Permanent Commission for Emergencies (Copeco) on timely coordination of the assistance."

Today, Ambassador Kubiske announced that USAID will increase its flood relief aid to Honduras to US$75,000.

Rain generated by a tropical depression continues to fall across Honduras, and the US National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida is forecasting continued heavy rains throughout the next few days. (10/17/11) (photo of flood victim in Honduras courtesy El Heraldo)