Washington, D.C. (June 26, 2006)-This past week, in a brief ceremony in Suriname, the Resident Representative of the Organization of American States (OAS) and the representative of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA) signed a grant agreement with the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) for the amount of $13,500 to further assist the victims of flooding in Suriname. The funding comes from a combination of PADF's disaster relief fund and monies raised from a public appeal for relief from the Civic and Community Relations Unit of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), among others.
With this funding, PADF is helping to reestablish seed stocks and replace basic agricultural tools lost in the flooded communities; and train local groups in improved agricultural practices, seed selection, storage methods, and enhance their harvesting techniques. The activities will be implemented by IICA and coordinated by the OAS Country Representative in Suriname. This grant represents additional relief support from the OAS system to Surinamein response to the recent flooding which has affected over 25,000 people.
While immediate relief supplies of water, food, medicine, and shelter have reached the affected populations, longer term issues of continuing food supplies pose a challenge. Initial estimates indicated that up to 85 percent of agricultural crops, especially cassava, were seriously damaged in the flooding. Without proper attention, this could pose serious challenges for the country. This prompted the President of Suriname and other government officials to ask that some of the emergency relief efforts focus on reinvigorating agricultural production in the affected areas.
"This grant is yet another example in which PADF, in conjunction with the OAS, its national offices, and others, come together to respond to natural disasters, while keeping in mind the longer term goals of sustainable production," said Michelet Fontaine, PADF's Director for Caribbean Programs.
In the last year alone, PADF has worked with the OAS, and others to respond to flooding and other disasters in Bolivia, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Guatemala. The Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) is a 501 (c)(3) organization established in 1962 through a unique partnership between the Organization of American States and private enterprise to promote, facilitate, and implement social and economic development in Latin America and the Caribbean through innovative partnerships and integrated involvement of the private and public sectors.
Contact:
Dale A. Crowell
Tel: (202) 458-6502
Cell: (202) 258-7950
dcrowell@padf.org