WASHINGTON, USA – The United States, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), is allocating approximately $30 million in additional humanitarian assistance to help people affected by hurricanes Iota and Eta, according to a statement by acting deputy administrator John Barsa;
“With [today’s] announcement, USAID will have allocated nearly $48 million in humanitarian aid to benefit the people of the Republics of Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Colombia. USAID has deployed a regional Disaster-Assistance Response Team (DART), on the ground since November 17, 2020, to lead the US government’s response to the storms.
Today’s announcement includes up to $18.8 million in Honduras, $9 million in Guatemala, and $1.5 million in Colombia.
The new funding will scale up USAID’s assistance for evacuation shelters, broaden our aid to reach more affected communities, and lay the groundwork for people to return to their home areas and start early recovery efforts. The aid includes emergency food, shelter, urgent medical care, clean water, sanitation, and hygiene. In addition, USAID will fund logistics efforts to reach people in need, protection for the most vulnerable, and programs to help people restore their livelihoods.
Through an existing regional mechanism, USAID also has provided $25,000 in humanitarian assistance including emergency food, mattresses, and cleaning kits—to people in Belize affected by hurricanes Iota and Eta.
“It is a core American value to help those in need, and as the world’s humanitarian leader, the United States remains committed to providing life-saving assistance to people affected by the hurricanes. The United States also calls upon other donors to provide new or additional assistance to address these needs.”
