February 19, 1999

President Clinton proposed $956 million funding for disaster assistance in the wake of Hurricane Mitch and Georges, which hit the Central American nations of Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala, along with Haiti, Dominican Republic, and other Caribbean nations, in the fall of 1998.

In his letter to Congress, the President said, "In light of the close consultation we have had, and the bipartisan recognition of the needs for reconstruction are pressing, I urge the Congress to act quickly to restore hope to this region and help our neighbors return to the path of democracy and economic growth."

Hurricane Mitch was the worst natural disaster ever to strike the Western Hemisphere. It caused the deaths of more than 9,000 people, left millions homeless, and resulted in more than $8.5 billion in damages to homes, hospitals, schools, roads, farms and businesses throughout the region.

The President's proposal will provide funding for reconstruction and restoration of local economies, prevention efforts to avoid future losses through environmental management and disaster mitigation, and debt relief.

This proposal also will provide $80 million to the Department of Justice's Immigration and Naturalization Service to support policies to delay deportation to these countries and for other costs related to these disasters.

This proposal also allocates $10 million to Colombia to help address needs arising from its recent earthquake, focusing assistance on health, housing and schools.

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