The United States Responds to Natural Disaster in El Salvador

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

November 17, 2009

On November 7-8, heavy rainfall related to Tropical Storm Ida caused floods and landslides in much of the central and eastern areas of El Salvador, including the capital city of San Salvador, which has resulted in more than 190 deaths and severe infrastructural damage and agricultural losses. At least 14,000 people have been forced from their homes and are staying in temporary shelters.

In response, to date the United States Government has provided more than $840,000 in emergency assistance to El Salvador through the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance and the U.S. Department of Defense’s Southern Command.

After the storm, USAID immediately released $100,000 for the local purchase of essential emergency relief supplies and fuel for El Salvador’s Armed Forces helicopters to transport supplies to communities in need, as well as to fly assessment missions over the affected areas.

In addition, on November 11, USAID airlifted to El Salvador emergency relief supplies from USAID stockpiles in Miami. The airlift, valued at approximately $180,000 including transport, included rolls of plastic sheeting to build temporary roofs and shelters, 5,000-gallon water bladders, ten-liter collapsible water containers, and hygiene kits containing soap, detergent, and other essential supplies. For more information about USAID's emergency humanitarian assistance programs, please visit: www.usaid.gov/our_work/humanitarian_assistance/disaster_assistance.

U.S. Southern Command has committed an additional $50,000 to finance five Humanitarian Assistance Projects to support homeless families in the hardest hit communities. These funds will be used to purchase and donate supplies, potable water and canned food, as well construction materials, mosquito netting, beds and mattresses.

Additionally, on November 11, a 45-member team from U.S. Southern Command’s Joint Task Force Bravo (JTF-Bravo), located at the Honduran Air Force Base Soto Cano, arrived in El Salvador with four helicopters, including one equipped to support medical evacuations, to work with Salvadoran military and civilian authorities in the delivery of emergency supplies, food, and potable water to isolated communities. The team also included engineers to assist in the assessment of infrastructure repair projects and a medical assessment team which is working closely with the Ministry of Health to determine emergency medical needs. In its first day of operations, JTF-Bravo helicopters transported nearly 20,772 pounds of supplies to six villages, providing the first delivery of food and potable water to the worst hit and most isolated areas. As of November 15, JTF-B helicopters have delivered more than 315,200 pounds of relief material to the most remote areas damaged by floods and mudslides. For further information on U.S. Southern Command’s relief efforts in El Salvador, please visit http://www.southcom.mil/AppsSC/factFiles.php?id=128.

Pathways to Prosperity in the Americas Women Entrepreneurs Conference

Bureau of Public Affairs

Fact Sheet

November 9, 2009

“Pathways to Prosperity can and will help spread the benefits of economic engagement and trade to women, rural farmers and small businesses, Afro-descendents, indigenous communities, and others too often left on the sidelines of progress.”

— Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton

In May 2009, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that the United States would host a conference on women and entrepreneurship as part of the Pathways to Prosperity in the Americas initiative. The Pathways initiative links together countries in the Americas to identify policies and programs that ensure all citizens share in the benefits of economic integration and globalization.

Launching Women Entrepreneurs

The Women Entrepreneurs Conference, held October 7-9, 2009 in Washington, D.C., launched a network of entrepreneurs who will promote access to markets, finance and training for women throughout the region, thereby stimulating economic growth. Early career entrepreneurs were linked with seasoned women entrepreneurs, from the United States and the region, to develop mentoring relationships. Early career entrepreneurs were chosen based on their readiness to expand their businesses into new markets.

Supporting these businesswomen provides a multiplier effect for not only those businesses, but also for their communities and the entire region. The conference offered:

• Networking opportunities for entrepreneurs and mentors;
• Discussions on finance, marketing, trade, technology, and leadership;
• A “How To” seminar to address issues such as financial backing, branding, logistics of importing, and identifying relevant resources;
• Field visits to local women-led businesses; and
• An expo for entrepreneurs to display their wares and meet representatives from companies interested in buying new lines of products and services from Latin America.

Continuing Mentorship

Following the conference, some of the entrepreneurs from the region traveled to other cities in the United States to observe successful businesses run by women. Additionally, all mentor-mentee relationships will be facilitated for one year, during which time mentors will visit mentees in their home countries to provide further support. A Pathways website, http://pathways-caminos.org.dnnmax.com/, where entrepreneurs can interact online will also facilitate the mentoring relationship.

The long-term goal of the conference is to support the development of a robust businesswomen’s network throughout the Pathways countries.

Partners

Collaborating with the U.S. Department of State in this endeavor are Agora Partnership, Apple, Business Council for International Understanding, Coca Cola, Count Me In, Endeavor, Ernst & Young, FedEx, Goldman Sachs, Inter- American Development Bank, Organization of American States, and Vital Voices.

Pathways Countries

Pathways countries include Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, El Salvador, and the United States. Other countries including Uruguay, Brazil, and Ecuador have attended Pathways meetings as observers.