[hdvideo id=371 ]
By Rolynda Jonathan
United States President Barack Obama has declared a disaster under the Compact of Free Association between the Marshall Islands and the U.S. as the Marshall Islands’ northern islands continue to battle severe drought conditions. The President made the declaration on June 14, which makes U.S. federal funding for emergency relief and reconstruction available to the Marshall Islands. RMI President Christopher Loeak made a request for disaster declaration on June 4. Following the declaration, the US Agency for International Development’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance will coordinate U.S. Government disaster assistance efforts with the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the government of the Marshall Islands. At the meantime, the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) has set up in the Marshall Islands and is expected to bring relief officials for six months despite the fact that the country does not have their own national Red Cross society. The IFRC, New Zealand Red Cross and the Kiribati Red Cross Society are working together to provide relief assistance to over 6,000 people affected by the severe drought conditions.