U.S. Government donates $120,000 in Emergency Relief Assistance to El Salvador due to Tropical Storm Amanda
June 2, 2020
The U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Office for Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) and other U.S. Embassy offices will donate emergency relief supplies valued at $120,000 for Salvadorans affected by Tropical Storm Amanda.
The donation ceremony was held at the Instituto Técnico Industrial (ITI), which currently serves as a shelter for people displaced by Tropical Storm Amanda. The donation was delivered by United States Ambassador Ronald Johnson and received by Minister of the Interior Mario Duran, Mayor of San Salvador Ernesto Muyshondt, and Director of Save the Children El Salvador Rocio Rodriguez.
U.S. Ambassador Ronald Johnson reaffirmed the commitment of the American people to continue supporting El Salvador. “The U.S. Embassy will remain in close contact with the government of El Salvador as we face this new emergency caused by Tropical Storm Amanda. We stand ready to help the country as a reliable partner. We add to our acts of assistance our prayers for all those affected.”
The donation comes in two parts. The first donation is destined to the Mayor’s Office of San Salvador and other municipalities, with an approximate value of $20,000. The second component will be coordinated by the General Direction of Civil Protection, Prevention and Mitigation of Disasters and will be distributed through our partner Save the Children in different municipalities of the country.
This donation includes deliveries of hygiene kits, water, mats and blankets to meet the immediate needs of more than 1,500 people in shelters for families affected by the storm. In the other municipalities, the supplies will be distributed in coordination with the Ministry of the Interior and the municipalities to reach the places with the greatest need.
On May 31, 2020, the government of El Salvador declared a state of emergency following Tropical Storm Amanda. According to preliminary reports from Civil Protection, more than 1.2 million people have been affected by the storm, which has caused landslides, flooding and damage to homes and businesses.
The United States Government will continue to assess the situation in order to support El Salvador during this emergency. In addition, the United States Department of Defense is providing aerial imagery to assist the Government of El Salvador to assist in their evaluation and response of the devastation caused by Tropical Storm Amanda.