U.S. Military relief for remote Ngobe Communities

According to the Southern Command, U.S. military disaster relief teams from a base in Honduras, have delivered more than 278,000 pounds of relief supplies to victims in flood-affected communities in Panama and Costa Rica.

The teams, comprised of 68 U.S. military personnel from the task force, have been supporting U.S. relief efforts in both countries since Nov 26. During the past seven days, the teams have flown 95 missions, using eight “Chinook” and “Blackhawk” helicopters to distribute aid and evacuate 17 flood victims in need of immediate medical attention.

U.S. Southern Command directed the teams to support ongoing U.S. relief efforts in Costa Rica and Panama, after authorities in both countries declared a state of emergency and requested U.S. assistance.

Near Bocas del Toro, Panama, a region where the task force’s helicopters have delivered supplies, the flooding has killed three people, injured seven, destroyed or damaged more than 1,000 houses, and affected more than 14,500 residents, according to Panama’s National System for Civil Protection.

In the Ngobe-Bugle Reservation community of Bisira, Panama (http://www.maplandia.com/panama/bocas-del-toro/chiriqui-grande/bisira/) they received 3,000 pounds of food ‎staples and water from a Black Hawk ‎helicopter last Friday (Nov. 29th). The airlifted relief commodities also included blankets, hygiene kits, and water containers. They also evacuated 16 flood victims in need of ‎immediate medical attention, which included six children and four pregnant women from remote ‎villages.

The U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Government's lead agency for international disaster assistance, is directing U.S. relief efforts in both countries.

"USAID provided initial funding for the local procurement and transport of emergency relief commodities and deployed disaster experts to the affected areas," said Ky Luu, Director of USAID´s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance. USAID disaster experts are also working alongside local authorities to further assess flood damage and determine if additional U.S. assistance is needed.

Source: http://www.southcom.mil/appssc/news.php?storyId=1485