WASHINGTON, DC – In response to the effects of Hurricane Gustav, the U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is providing an initial $100,000 for the purchase and distribution of emergency relief supplies for displaced populations in Haiti and for the support of early recovery activities.
In addition, USAID is providing $100,000 to Jamaica’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management to support aerial reconnaissance and the purchase and distribution of emergency relief supplies.
A three-person USAID assessment team has arrived in Haiti and the team is working closely with USAID/Haiti to coordinate the U.S. Government’s humanitarian response with the Government of Haiti (GOH), UN agencies, and other humanitarian organizations. Overflights, assessments, and relief agency meetings are taking place to determine what the next steps are for recovery.
Following the storms arrival in Jamaica, two USAID disaster experts deployed to support USAID/Jamaica to conduct surveys of affected areas to determine whether additional assistance is needed.
On August 26, Hurricane Gustav passed over Haiti, producing heavy rains and winds. Beginning on September 1, the approach of Tropical Storm Hanna led to additional rainfall throughout Haiti. Heavy rains produced floodwaters up to three meters deep in the Gonaïves region, according to the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince.
The GOH Civil Protection Directorate announced that as of August 30, flooding had led to 76 deaths, left 9 people missing, injured 35 people, forced 8,789 people to evacuate to shelters, destroyed 2,121 houses, and damaged an additional 8,155 houses. Flooding and landslides have cut off land routes and hampered humanitarian access.
On August 28, Tropical Storm Gustav made landfall in eastern Jamaica and moved along the southern parishes, predominantly affecting St. Thomas, St. Catherine, Portland, and St. Mary. On September 2, the U.S. Embassy in Kingston reported that the storm killed 4 individuals and directly affected more than 4,000 others.
The storm caused substantial damage to infrastructure and flooding in at least 72 communities, rendering 120 roads impassable and affecting 65 percent of the country’s water supply. The storm also inflicted heavy losses on the agriculture sector, particularly affecting the banana crop, a primary export commodity.
According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the storm damaged 70 percent of the banana crop in St. Mary and 100 percent of the crop in St. Thoma
USAID will continue to monitor the situation in close consultation with the U.S. embassies and will provide additional support as needed.
