The US Department of State will coordinate the assistance, with funding provided by FEMA.
Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images via CNN Newsource
The United States has approved an initial US$8 million disaster relief package for the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) following the devastation caused by Super Typhoon Sinlaku in April.
The disaster declaration, approved by the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), allows relief and recovery assistance to be provided under the Compact of Free Association agreement between the US and the FSM.
The US Department of State will coordinate the assistance, with funding provided by FEMA.
According to FEMA, the funding is intended to address immediate unmet needs and support relief and recovery efforts in affected areas. An initial $8m has been made available to expedite assistance.
Super Typhoon Sinlaku struck the FSM between 9 and 12 April, bringing destructive winds, heavy rain and widespread flooding, with Chuuk State suffering the worst damage.
Initial assessments by FSM authorities reported seven deaths, five injuries and one person missing at sea.
More than 34,000 people were affected across 29 municipalities, while over 13,000 residents were displaced from their homes. The Chuuk Lagoon area accounted for the vast majority of those impacted.
The storm triggered near-total power and communications outages in Chuuk, damaged health facilities, destroyed homes and schools, and left major roads blocked by debris and flooding. Essential food crops, including banana, breadfruit, taro and coconut, were heavily damaged, raising concerns about food security and access to clean drinking water.
The declaration comes as recovery efforts continue across Micronesia nearly two months after the Category 5 storm, which also caused extensive damage in the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam.
Earlier, the FSM received a $375,000 payout from the Pacific Catastrophe Risk Insurance Company to help fund emergency supplies, including fuel, generators and clean water, in the immediate aftermath of the disaster.
FSM officials have said rebuilding critical infrastructure and restoring essential services will remain a priority as international and US assistance continues to reach affected communities.
