USAID, IOM assessing Typhoon Maysak damage
The United States Embassy in Kolonia, assisted by USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance, is coordinating the U.S. government’s response to Typhoon Maysak. OFDA is conducting damage assessments in Chuuk and Yap states with the International Organization for Migration, USAID’s on-the-ground partner in the FSM.
The FSM and state governments are providing logistics support to facilitate the movement of relief items throughout the affected areas. Under the leadership of each state’s Disaster Coordination Officer in the Emergency Operations Centers, IOM is closely coordinating response work with state-level departments, the Micronesian Red Cross Society, and local partners. The U.S. Embassy, OFDA, and IOM continue to liaise with the FSM national government, donors, and key partners in Pohnpei.
Preliminary reports from Chuuk and Yap states indicate extensive damage to crops, housing, and infrastructure, limited drinking water due to damage to water storage containers, and power and communications outages.
Through IOM, the U.S. maintains prepositioned relief items in the FSM. IOM is working with local officials to distribute these critical supplies—including water containers and plastic sheeting to address emergency shelter needs. Over the next few days, U.S. Embassy and OFDA staff will continue to conduct assessments and coordinate response efforts in response to the requests of FSM government agencies and humanitarian organizations. (U.S. Embassy Kolonia)