U.S. Government Delivers New Relief Aid Assistance for Flood Victims in Trinidad

On February 29, the Director of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Bolivia, Michael Yates, delivered in Trinidad a new donation of relief assistance consisting in medical kits –medicines for the treatment of 30,000 people during the next 3 months. The donation also included 7,700 mosquito nets, 25,000 pairs of plastic gloves, water purification equipment, and antiseptic alcohol. This new assistance effort will benefit flood victims in Santa Ana de Yacuma, Puerto Siles, and Riberalta in the department of Beni, and in other regions of the department of Pando. With this donation, the U.S. humanitarian assistance to Bolivia during the present flood season exceeds $750,000.

Two weeks ago, U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia Philip Goldberg delivered in Trinidad, Beni, an emergency relief donation that included plastic material for tents, water containers, and personal hygiene kits, donated by the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA). Also, on January 8, another U.S. Embassy cargo plane brought from La Paz more than 4 tons of metallic structures to build emergency tents.

USAID/Bolivia’s Director said that this new donation delivered in Beni is a new testimony of the appreciation for and solidarity with the Bolivian people from the U.S. Government. Mr. Yates remarked that this humanitarian assistance follows another similar effort that has already built three emergency camps, two in Trinidad and one in Santa Ana de Yacuma to provide temporary shelter to more than 1,500 citizens in Beni. “In this occasion we want to especially provide support in the area of health. This is the reason why in all camps set up by USAID, we are including a medical unit to provide immediate healthcare attention,” said Yates.

During the current flooding crisis, the U.S. Government’s relief aid to Bolivia has been estimated at $750,818.