U.S. Agency for International Development
WWW.USAID.GOV


Hurricane Keith:

USAID to Deploy 'GO Team' to Belize


U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
PRESS RELEASE


WASHINGTON, DC 20523
PRESS OFFICE
http://www.usaid.gov
(202) 712-4320

00-283

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, October 2, 2000

Contact: Chris Madison

Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will send a Ground Operations (GO) Team to Belize Tuesday, October 3 in response to Hurricane Keith. The team will depart from Homestead Air Reserve Base in Miami, FL and arrive in Belize City as soon as local airports re-open.

Initial damage reports specify heavy structural damage due to wind and water in the northern district of Corozal,
and the islands off Belize, especially Ambergis Caye and Caye Caulker.

The 12-member GO Team, comprised of USAID disaster response specialists and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel, is designed to deploy disaster response personnel quickly, along with pre-packaged modules of relief commodities.

USAID is the agency that manages the U.S. foreign assistance program and coordinates the United States response to international disasters.

Hurricane Keith Fact Sheet #3 (FY 2001)
October 5, 2000

U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT(USAID)
BUREAU FOR HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE (BHR)
OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA)

U.S. Government Response
Belize:

There is now a 12-person Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART)/Ground Operations (GO) Team on the ground. The DART/GO Team is supported by Department of Defense (DOD) SOUTHCOM-provided assets, including one Chinook (CH-47) and two Blackhawk (UH-60) helicopters for assessments and delivery of relief items, and six support personnel (in addition to the helicopter crews) to assist with distribution of relief supplies.
USAID/BHR/OFDA-provided relief supplies, including 80 rolls of plastic sheeting, 1,000 wool blankets, 1,000 five-gallon collapsible
water jugs, 1,008 hygiene kits, and various medical supplies, were consigned to NEMO on October 4. Today, NEMO plans to distribute
these commodities to affected populations on Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker. The Chinook helicopter will be used to transport these
supplies, and members of the DART/GO Team from Miami-Dade Fire and Rescue will assist NEMO with the distribution and use of
plastic sheeting for emergency shelter. The DART/GO Team is awaiting the results of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
initial assessment of emergency health needs (which should be available by the end of the day) before distributing the hygiene kits and
medical supplies.
On October 4, one Blackhawk helicopter transported DART/GO Team members and U.S. Embassy officials to conduct an aerial damage
assessment of the northern barrier islands and north coast of Belize. They overflew Caye Caulker, Ambergris Caye and San Pedro,
Corozal, Orange Walk, and the northern Highway back to Belize City. The team confirmed extensive, but minor, damage to structures in the cayes. They found that 85-90 percent of houses had sustained minor roof damage. Approximately 1,000 people live on Caye Caulker and 7,000 people on Ambergris Caye.
The second Blackhawk overflew the area southwest of Belize City and transported the DART/GO Team Leader, along with the U.S.
Ambassador, other DART/GO Team members, and U.S. Embassy officials, to Belmopan, Belize’s capital. The team met with NEMO officials to discuss assessment information and projected relief needs, and to coordinate relief activities.
The DART/GO Team is coordinating closely with PAHO, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Relief Agency, the World Food Program,
and the American Red Cross. These agencies are working together to determine emergency needs in health, water/sanitation, and
shelter.

//ambergriscaye.com/pages/aim.html

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I miss the beauty of Belize, and I pray that the suffering soon ends for all the Victims of Hurricane Keith!

For those of you here who haven't already, you really should check this out:
//AmbergrisCaye.com/pages/town/visitor.html
//ambergriscaye.com/pages/aim.html

I fear there is a huge conspiracy going on between Belize government and others.

Anybody else here afraid?

Hey, Marty

I'm relatively new here, so please forgive my ignorance. I've seen quite a few posts from you that make it sound like it's been party time on Ambergris Caye, and the mainland is ready for tourists. Who are your information contacts/sources there?

Does anyone know?

Thanks for the info Max! It's nice to see sources in the post.

Who is Spookey?

What kind of "conspiracy" between Belize Govt. and others? What are you talking about?

Whoever Spookey is, he/she obviously has no clue whatsoever. If you read this, Spookey, do us all a favor and elaborate on this conspiracy theory of yours. I for one am very curious to know what you are talking about.

lorna, have you read me latest post?

DON'T BE "TEMPTED"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

?

There you go again Stevie(Soma151,Tom,toMMy,Spookey et al). Don't they have lithium in Portland?