Dominican Republic - Tropical Storm Fact Sheet #3, Fiscal Year (FY) 2008

U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

BUREAU FOR DEMOCRACY, CONFLICT, AND HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE (DCHA)
OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA)

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

- On November 6, the Director of USAID/Dominican Republic and other USAID staff traveled to Barahona Province and assisted World Vision and more than 100 volunteers in distributing USAID/OFDA hygiene kits to affected individuals. On November 7, U.S. Chargé d'Affaires Roland W. Bullen, the USAID/OFDA assessment team leader, and Department of Defense (DOD) personnel flew to Barahona Province to meet with and deliver relief supplies to representatives from World Vision and Fundación para el Desarollo del Sur (FUNDESUR), and met with Peace Corps volunteers assisting with commodity distributions.

- The U.N. issued an appeal for nearly $14 million on November 6 to provide assistance through May 2008 to individuals affected by Tropical Storm Noel in the Dominican Republic.

- In Haiti, U.S. Chargé d'Affaires Thomas C. Tighe requested $100,000 in USAID/OFDA assistance due to the effects of more than six weeks of heavy rain, exacerbated by the passage of Tropical Storm Noel.

FY 2008 Humanitarian Funding to Date

USAID/OFDA Assistance to the Dominican Republic: $1,150,528
U.S. DOD Assistance to the Dominican Republic (3) : $255,751
Total USG Assistance to the Dominican Republic: $1,406,279
USAID/OFDA Assistance to Haiti: 100,000
Total USG Assistance to the Dominican Republic and Haiti: $1,506,279

CURRENT SITUATION

Dominican Republic

- As of November 7, approximately 26,500 displaced persons remain in official shelters, and more than 50,000 others have taken shelter with friends and relatives. Flooding has destroyed 1,879 homes and damaged 18,053 others, and floodwaters have severed communication to 155 communities and damaged 50 bridges and roads.

- The USAID/OFDA assessment team reported a lack of safe drinking water in many affected areas. Damage to infrastructure has slowed or precluded ground transport of relief supplies to some areas. Floodwaters damaged vast tracts of agricultural land and destroyed nearly all crops in the most affected areas.

- Following an assessment in San José de Ocoa, one of the most affected provinces, the USAID/OFDA assessment team reported that 14 communities in the province remained cut off from ground transportation. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that needs include food and safe drinking water for 2,000 displaced individuals in the province.

- The USAID/OFDA assessment team reported that priority needs include the provision of safe drinking water, hygiene kits, mattresses and bedding, mosquito nets, medicine, and other non-food items.

- The GODR continues to distribute humanitarian relief supplies to affected populations. A USAID/OFDA team member working with the Ministry of Health (MOH) reported that the MOH has provided medicine, medical staff including doctors and nurses, food, and gas for cooking and generating electricity in affected areas. The MOH has also engaged in health promotion programs in official shelters and coordinated with the GODR's Emergency Operations Center to intervene in affected communities.

- As of November 7, the U.N. World Food Program and the Dominican Red Cross have delivered 10 metric tons (MT) of high protein biscuits to affected communities. Of this total, 2.5 MT were distributed to San José de Ocoa and Arenoso provinces by air, including via DOD and U.S. Coast Guard helicopters.

Haiti

- Continuous rains over the past six weeks, exacerbated by the passage of Tropical Storm Noel, have resulted in severe flooding in southern, southwestern, and western departments of Haiti, as well as in Artibonite Department. The rains and associated flooding have killed 103 people, with 20 others reported missing, and affected more than 25,000 families, according to initial assessments by the GOH.

- In addition, the rains and flooding destroyed nearly 3,200 houses and damaged more than 14,000 others. The GOH's Directorate of Civil Protection and humanitarian organizations have been managing the response with previously stockpiled relief supplies, which have been significantly depleted.

Map: USG Humanitarian Assistance to the Dominican Republic and Haiti (as of 8 Nov 2007)

Notes:

(1) Government of the Dominican Republic

(2) Government of Haiti

(3) DOD has also provided helicopter support for the distribution of emergency relief supplies, the final cost of which has not yet been estimated.