Dominican families are receiving timely assistance from the United States Government (USG) and American people as they continue to grapple with the dislocation caused by Tropical Storm Erika.

In addition to the over $165,000 of USG disaster relief assistance targeted to Dominica, assessment teams from the United States Agency for International Development’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) are working diligently on the ground to assess and address the most critical needs as they surface.

In collaboration with the Dominica Red Cross, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through its Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), initially provided humanitarian assistance funding of US$65,000. This enabled the Red Cross to procure and distribute household clean‐up kits along with other essential relief items like buckets, jerry cans, kitchen kits (pots, pans, other cooking supplies), and tarpaulin to several communities including, Pichelin, Grand Bay, Bagatelle, Fond St. Jean, and Pointe Carib. An additional US$100,000 USG support has since been earmarked to augment the initial contribution.

In the immediate aftermath of the storm, a six-member assessment team was deployed to Dominica to provide initial damage assessments and needs analysis and provide on-island coordination of the USG’s disaster response efforts. USAID/OFDA also provided US$10,000 emergency relief funding that covered the island’s immediate needs. This facilitated the rapid deployment of: Surge Consultants to assist with damage assessment; vehicle rental and fuel for the Red Cross and the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for delivery of relief supplies. It also covered payment for clean-up and restoration of the flooded Meteorological Services building, housed at the island’s main airport.

This dislocated Petit Savanne family, now temporarily housed in Roseau, receives USAID-funded foodstuff and supplies from Kathleen Pinard-Byrne, Director General of the Dominica Red Cross.

OFDA has maintained assessment teams on the ground to coordinate the USG’s response and ensure that the most hard-hit communities and individuals are reached.

During the past week, the Dominica Red Cross distributed food stuff, household items, and other supplies on the behalf of the USG to displaced families from the south eastern community of Petit Savanne, one of nine designated Special Disaster Areas. Donated items included canned food, oil, baby milk, toiletries, mattresses, pots and pans, table-top stoves, buckets and shovels.

Responding to an urgent need for portable generators, USAID/OFDA funded the procurement of seven units from two local vendors, and handed them over to the Dominica Red Cross for use at select distribution sites and in other response-related activities.

USAID/OFDA is continuing to conduct regular assessments to gauge the areas of immediate need and the most impactful way in which assistance can be provided on the behalf of the American people.