"And it comes in the wake of the Trump administration's dismantling of the world's largest aid agency, the United States Agency for International Development, along with the slashing of billions of dollars in foreign assistance. Hurricane Melissa, the most powerful Atlantic storm of this year, has torn through Jamaica and several other islands in the Caribbean, leaving a trail of devastation. With major flooding and power outages, Prime Minister Andrew Holness has declared the country a "disaster area.""
"For disasters like this epic hurricane, preparations would have started months in advance. "USAID would have been working with governments and embassies in the region on preparing for hurricane season," says Sarah Charles, who led USAID's Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance during the Biden administration. "And this would have been everything from exercises with emergency management authorities in different countries [and aid groups], to pre-positioning stocks of things like plastic sheeting, emergency food, household item kits warehouses in places like Miami,""
USAID, previously the lead federal agency coordinating disaster response, has been dismantled and funding for foreign assistance has been sharply reduced, weakening U.S. capacity for international relief. Hurricane Melissa, the most powerful Atlantic storm this year, struck Jamaica and multiple Caribbean islands, causing major flooding, power outages, and widespread devastation; Jamaica declared a disaster area and formally requested help. The United States indicated readiness to respond. USAID previously maintained about 800 trained disaster-relief staff, a response roadmap, and months-long preparations including exercises with emergency authorities and pre-positioning supplies in warehouses in Miami and vulnerable countries like Haiti. The absence of USAID complicates rapid, coordinated relief efforts.
Read at www.npr.org
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