May 8, 2008

 

U.S. Provides over $3 Million in Assistance to Burmese People in Cyclone Aftermath

Bahasa Indonesia

The American people, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), are providing $3.25 million dollars in initial assistance to help meet the most urgent needs of the Burmese people in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis.  This USAID assistance will be allocated by the USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) that is currently pre-positioned in Bangkok awaiting permission to enter Burma.

"USAID is pleased to work with the American Red Cross to provide assistance to the Burmese people," said USAID Administrator Henrietta H. Fore. "Many have suffered a great deal during and in the aftermath of the storm, and we offer our support and assistance in their time of need."

This assistance will help provide for ongoing community assessments, mobilization and distribution of relief supplies from pre-positioned Red Cross stockpiles, follow-up monitoring and coordination, and the local procurement, transport, and emergency storage of temporary shelter materials.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA), the most urgent needs of populations in affected areas include plastic sheeting, water purification tablets, cooking sets, mosquito nets, emergency health kits, food, and possibly fuel supplies.

"The scope of the disaster is massive, and our hearts go out to the families who have been impacted by this crisis," said David Meltzer, senior vice president, International Services of the American Red Cross. "Through this collaboration with USAID, we will be able to strengthen our relief efforts and provide urgently needed supplies to those in the affected area."

Those who wish to assist the people of Burma are encouraged to make a cash donation to a reputable humanitarian organization working in the disaster region. 

For more information about USAID's emergency humanitarian assistance to Burma, please visit: www.usaid.gov/locations/asia/countries/burma/cyclone_nargis.  For more information on the U.S. Embassy activities in Indonesia, please visit the Embassy website at: http://jakarta.usembassy.gov.

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