Interior Provides More Than $1.6 Million to Help Northern Mariana Islands with Recovery from Super Typhoon Yutu

WASHINGTON – Doug Domenech, U.S. Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary, Insular and International Affairs, this week announced $1,632,500 to assist the people of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) as they work to rebuild the U.S. territory following Super Typhoon Yutu. Interior will provide $1 million in Capital Improvement Program funds to build temporary classroom pods and $632,500 in Technical Assistance funds to provide emergency shelter stations with disaster-related supplies to meet needs for families still without homes.

“Homes, schools, and people’s lives were devastated in the CNMI following Super Typhoon Yutu,” said Assistant Secretary Doug Domenech. “Secretary Ryan Zinke and I are pleased to be a part of this Administration’s timely and full efforts to help the CNMI recover as quickly as possible.”

On October 24, 2018, the CNMI was hit by Super Typhoon Yutu, devastating homes, businesses, roads, and utilities, severely impacting the lives of many islanders. The White House issued an emergency declaration immediately due to the initial conditions surrounding Yutu beginning on October 24. Then, on October 27, President Trump declared the existence of a major disaster, thereby making immediately available to Rota, Tinian, and Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands the full range of federal assistance for recovery. FEMA and the Department of Defense are leading the recovery efforts.

The Secretary of the Interior is responsible for coordinating federal policy with respect to the territories of the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and administering and overseeing U.S. federal assistance provided under the Compact of Free Association to the freely associated states of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. The Assistant Secretary, Insular and International Affairs, executes these responsibilities, on behalf of the Secretary, through the Office of Insular Affairs whose mission is to foster economic opportunities, promote government efficiency, and improve the quality of life for the people of the insular areas.

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