[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 280 Referred in Senate (RFS)]


109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 280


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           December 12, 2005

      Received and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Mourning the horrific loss of life caused by the floods and mudslides 
    that occurred in October 2005 in Central America and Mexico and 
   expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should do 
   everything possible to assist the affected people and communities.

Whereas on October 4, 2005, Hurricane Stan made landfall on Mexico's Gulf coast, 
        bringing sustained winds of 80 miles per hour before weakening to a 
        tropical storm and generating separate storms across southern Mexico and 
        Central America;
Whereas Hurricane Wilma, a category four hurricane, made landfall in Cozumel, 
        Mexico on October 22, 2005, and

stalled over the Yucatan Peninsula bringing over 60 inches of rain to some 
parts of the Peninsula and causing severe flooding, over 75,000 
evacuations, damaging between 30-40 percent of the houses in Cancun, and 
causing severe damage to the area's vital tourism industry;

Whereas Hurricane Beta made landfall on October 30, 2005, near Karabal and Sandy 
        Bay, Nicaragua, as a category two hurricane, displacing thousands of 
        people, damaging critical communications and transportation 
        infrastructure, and bringing destructive winds and rains to these and 
        approximately 50 other communities;
Whereas the heavy rainfall associated with these storms caused widespread and 
        severe flooding that has affected millions of people across Central 
        America, including the people of Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Guatemala, 
        and the people of Mexico;
Whereas, as of October 12, 2005, the flooding had killed an estimated 2,000 
        people across Central America and Mexico, according to government 
        estimates which are expected to be revised upwards;
Whereas rains have produced more than 900 landslides, burying entire villages 
        and causing numerous deaths in Guatemala, with official government 
        estimates confirming 654 deaths, 577 people missing, and more than 
        120,000 people affected across 621 communities in the provinces of 
        Escuintla, Guatemala, Quetzaltenango, Chiquimula, San Marcos, 
        Chimaltenango, El Quiche, and Baja Verapa;
Whereas many of the affected areas are especially vulnerable to natural 
        disasters and lack access to basic healthcare, sanitation, and medical 
        services;
Whereas the flooding and landslides have damaged housing and public 
        infrastructure in 251 of the 331 municipalities in Guatemala and 
        sustained rains across much of the country have hampered ongoing relief 
        efforts;
Whereas two simultaneous emergencies in El Salvador--the severe flooding caused 
        by Tropical Storm Stan and the eruption of the Santa Ana volcano on 
        October 1, 2005--have affected half of the country and forced the 
        evacuation of more than 69,000 people to local shelters;
Whereas Tropical Storm Stan caused massive flooding in the Mexican States of 
        Veracruz, Chiapas, Oaxaca, Tabasco, Puebla, Hidalgo, and Guerrero and 
        forced the evacuation of approximately 370,000 people from nearly 3,000 
        communities to local shelters, according to the Government of Mexico;
Whereas extensive rainfall in the Costa Rican provinces of Alajuela, Cartago, 
        Guanacaste, Heredia, Puntarenas, and San Jose in the Pacific and Central 
        Valley caused severe flooding and landslides, forcing more than 1,000 
        people in 459 communities to evacuate to local shelters, damaged 550 
        houses, 117 bridges, and 11 educational buildings, and more than 281 
        roads have been blocked or damaged by mudslides;
Whereas many families in these affected areas are homeless and in desperate need 
        of reconstruction help;
Whereas the United States Agency for International Development's Office of 
        Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) initially provided $150,000 to 
        USAID/Guatemala for the local purchase and distribution of emergency 
        relief supplies, as well as for helicopter support, including fuel and 
        rental of local helicopters and an additional $1,200,000 to USAID/
        Guatemala for emergency grants to nongovernmental organization partners 
        for emergency health, water and sanitation, and shelter activities;
Whereas USAID/OFDA committed $200,000 to support the Pan American Health 
        Organization's (PAHO) emergency health and water and sanitation 
        activities as part of the United Nations joint appeal;
Whereas USAID/OFDA is working closely with the Governments of Costa Rica, El 
        Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico to coordinate transportation and 
        distribution of relief commodities to affected communities and for the 
        local purchase and distribution of emergency relief supplies, water, and 
        food;
Whereas on October 8, 2005, the United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) 
        deployed a 58-person team to Guatemala City to assist with ongoing 
        disaster relief efforts in southwestern Guatemala and sent nine United 
        States Army helicopters to conduct search and rescue missions and 
        provide for the transportation of emergency relief supplies, including 
        food, medical supplies, and communications equipment, to affected areas, 
        as well as flying in host nation firefighters, emergency aid workers, 
        and doctors; and
Whereas the United States initially has provided $100,000 to the Mexican Red 
        Cross for the local purchase and distribution of emergency relief 
        supplies to aid victims of Hurricane Wilma, and a USAID/OFDA team is 
        working with USAID/Mexico, local disaster officials, and other 
        organizations to assess impacts, aid requirements, and deliver further 
        emergency assistance: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That--
            (1) Congress--
                    (A) mourns the horrific loss of life caused by the 
                floods and mudslides that occurred in October 2005 in 
                Central America and Mexico;
                    (B) expresses its deep condolences to the families 
                of the many victims;
                    (C) commits to provide the necessary resources and 
                to stand by the people of Costa Rica, El Salvador, 
                Guatemala, and Mexico in the relief, recovery, and 
                rebuilding efforts;
                    (D) applauds the prompt humanitarian response to 
                this natural disaster by the United States Agency for 
                International Development, the United States Armed 
                Forces, and other departments and agencies of the 
                United States Government, the United Nations and other 
                international organizations, and nongovernmental 
                organizations;
                    (E) recognizes the growing support by international 
                donors for relief efforts;
                    (F) affirms its commitment to additional United 
                States support for relief and long-term reconstruction 
                efforts in areas affected by the flooding;
                    (G) urges continued attention by donors and relief 
                agencies to the needs of vulnerable populations in the 
                stricken countries, particularly those left homeless by 
                this disaster and whose welfare and economic 
                livelihoods have been disrupted;
                    (H) urges assistance which targets immediate and 
                long-term infrastructure needs, with a special emphasis 
                on improvements that aim to increase emergency 
                preparedness and withstand future natural disaster 
                events; and
                    (I) encourages the Administration and other 
                international donors to provide immediate and long-term 
                assistance for the reconstruction of affected 
                infrastructure that is a requisite for the economic and 
                social development of the devastated communities; and
            (2) it is the sense of Congress that it should be the 
        policy of the United States--
                    (A) to promote economic growth and improved living 
                standards, reduce poverty, and promote democracy and 
                the rule of law in the countries of Central America;
                    (B) in concert with multilateral humanitarian 
                organizations, the Organization of American States and 
                the Inter-American Development Bank, to actively 
                support the reconstruction of affected communities in 
                places to be determined by respective governments in 
                collaboration with representatives of such communities;
                    (C) to expedite humanitarian relief and 
                reconstruction efforts in order to mitigate the 
                immediate and long-term threats to public health, 
                economic development, and security in Central America;
                    (D) to provide technical assistance to Central 
                American governments in order to strengthen the 
                capacity of first responders and governmental 
                institutions at the national, provincial, and local 
                levels in the area of disaster management coordination 
                and preparedness, including information and 
                communications systems to help with the response to 
                natural disasters; and
                    (E) to encourage the governments of these countries 
                to improve disaster mitigation techniques and 
                compliance among all key sectors of their societies.

            Passed the House of Representatives December 6, 2005.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.