The flight included essential items not available in A&B. (Photo Courtesy: Ricardo Herrera).
USAID DART Team lead John Kimbrough (centre) and logistician Pat Long (right), in discussion with Sherrod James, Antigua and Barbuda’s Deputy Director of the National Office of Disaster Services.
US sends relief flight to Antigua and Barbuda
A Relief Flight from Miami, containing key assistance commodities including tarps, blankets, hygiene kits, kitchen sets, water containers, and chain saw/clean-up kits, arrived in Antigua and Barbuda recently.
The shipment is part of the United States Government’s ongoing assistance to the storm-ravaged twin-island state, still reeling from Hurricane Irma, the category 5 storm that severely impacted Barbuda on Wednesday, September 6, 2017.
This assistance is being coordinated through the United States Agency for International Development’s Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA), and in collaboration with Antigua and Barbuda’s National Office of Disaster Services.
The flight included several essential items not available in-country.
A five-person USAID/OFDA Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) was also deployed to Antigua and Barbuda on September 11, 2017, to conduct a needs assessment and explore potential for further assistance. Since their deployment, team members have helped to facilitate a US$100 000 award donated by the United States Government to the Antigua and Barbuda Red Cross for assistance to those affected by Hurricane Irma.
In addition to partnering with Antigua and Barbuda’s National Office of Disaster Services, the USAID/OFDA team is also collaborating with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), UN Agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations and other donors to assess immediate disaster response needs. The DART team will explore potential for future assistance based on emerging needs.