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The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to The Bahamas as Hurricane Dorian-the second strongest Atlantic hurricane on record and the strongest to ever hit The Bahamas-continues to bring life-threatening wind, rain, and flooding to the northwestern islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama.
The DART, an elite team of disaster response experts, is coordinating with local authorities, humanitarian organizations, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the U.S. Embassy in The Bahamas to assess damage, identify humanitarian needs, and bring urgently needed assistance to those affected by this hurricane.
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Today, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Mark Green announced that the United States is providing nearly $4 million in additional humanitarian assistance to help people in The Bahamas affected by Hurricane Dorian, which brings the total U.S. funding for this response to more than $10 million to date.
Evacuations from The Bahamas’ storm-affected Abaco island group to the capital city of Nassau, located in New Providence Island, continue daily, facilitated by commercial and the Government of The Bahamas (GoB)-supported aircrafts and sea vessels. Between September 6 and 9, an estimated 5,400 people displaced by Hurricane Dorian arrived in Nassau, the GoB National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) reports.
The Government of The Bahamas (GoB) National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) continues to coordinate emergency operations in response to widespread destruction and acute humanitarian needs caused by Hurricane Dorian. In the worst-affected Abaco island group, relief actors—with support from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)—continue to reach, assess, and provide emergency assistance to newly accessible communities in remote areas.
USAID is leading the humanitarian relief efforts of the U.S. Government, including lifesaving and life sustaining assistance. Food, water and sanitation, emergency shelter, and medical care needed to facilitate The Bahamian government's response as well as communications, electricity, transportation, and air traffic control support. Most importantly, we are working closely with the Prime Minister and his leadership as he leads the response. Our job is to help him in his efforts to provide relief and to help recovery. We have had important, good meetings with the Prime Minister. I was impressed with his great pledge of assistance in working with us and he's made it clear that if we can identify any barriers, any logjams, any bureaucracy, he stands ready to clear that, and that's of course vitally important.
So, the U.S. Government is already donated 2.8 million dollars in humanitarian assistance. We recognize that's a down payment on the need. But again, this is something that has the attention of the highest levels of the U.S. Government, and we're here to help. With that, we'd be happy to take a few questions.
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