WASHINGTON — The US is deploying a number of dozen catastrophe aid employees, together with city search and rescue groups, to Caribbean island nations as they take care of devastation attributable to Hurricane Melissa.
Catastrophe Help Response Crew personnel from Washington and regional hubs in Miami and Costa Rica in addition to city search and rescue crews from Los Angeles County and Fairfax County, Va., are en path to the area, three State Division officers stated Wednesday.
They’re anticipated to reach within the subsequent 24 to 48 hours and be part of up with native workers in Jamaica, the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic, the place they are going to be based mostly to supply assist in neighboring Haiti, in keeping with the officers, who spoke to reporters on situation of anonymity as a result of the groups weren’t but on the bottom.
Hurricane Melissa has left dozens of individuals useless and widespread destruction throughout Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica. The monster storm made landfall Tuesday in Jamaica as one of many strongest Atlantic hurricanes on file earlier than weakening and transferring on to Cuba.
The State Division officers stated they anticipated the U.S. response to the hurricane to be “sturdy,” “environment friendly” and “efficient.” They dismissed considerations that the dismantling of the U.S. Company for Worldwide Growth, which had beforehand overseen aid operations, would hinder the work.
The U.S. authorities shutdown additionally was not an element, the officers stated, and the folks wanted for the operation had been exempted from the furloughs which have affected all federal companies.
It was not instantly clear whether or not the DART workforce members can be paid instantly for his or her work, however the search and rescue groups are employed by their localities and their providers are lined by long-term present contracts.
The officers stated anticipated wants embody provides comparable to hygiene kits, momentary housing, sanitation tools and meals, which will probably be drawn from warehouses in Miami and from native stockpiles maintained by assist teams.
The officers and the U.S. army’s Tampa-based Southern Command stated the Pentagon might play a task in transporting personnel and provides to distant areas within the affected international locations however {that a} choice on the dimensions of such involvement had not but been made.
Col. Manny Ortiz, Southern Command spokesman, stated plans for army assist for the catastrophe help groups have been being reviewed.
“As a preparatory measure, we’ve got initiated planning to deploy a situational evaluation workforce that will probably be tasked with evaluating the circumstances in hurricane-stricken areas and the distinctive necessities wanted for well timed and efficient life-saving, pressing humanitarian assist, and catastrophe response operations,” he stated in an announcement.
“Future choices on potential U.S. assist will probably be based mostly on their assessments, however it’s nonetheless too quickly to take a position on what that assist will include,” he stated.
The Trump administration has constructed up a army presence within the Caribbean as a part of its crackdown on drug trafficking, which incorporates lethal strikes on boats that it accuses of being operated by cartels. The Pentagon says it’s sending an plane service to affix the eight warships, fleet of plane and hundreds of troops already within the area.
Navy and Pentagon officers say the hurricane has not had any impact on army operations up to now.
The State Division officers stated there have been no plans for the time being to evacuate any of the hundreds of Americans believed to be residing in or visiting the affected islands they usually anticipated most would be capable of go away on industrial flights or ships as soon as airports and ports reopen.
There are roughly 5,000 Individuals registered within the Sensible Traveler Enrollment Program in Jamaica and a further 3,200 within the Bahamas, the officers stated. However they stated they have no idea the precise numbers as a result of this system is voluntary and U.S. residents will not be required to register with the federal government after they journey overseas.
Lee writes for the Related Press. AP author Konstantin Toropin contributed to this report.
