Nancy Pelosi: “This amendment will provide $250 million in emergency international disaster assistance for El Salvador. The United…”

“This amendment will provide $250 million in emergency international disaster assistance for El Salvador. The United States has been a leader and a major contributor to international humanitarian disasters. Last year, the committee provided $135 million in emergency funding for Mozambique and southern Africa, so there is precedent for doing this funding under the emergency funding in this bill. Two years ago, the committee provided approximately $621 million in emergency funding for Hurricane Mitch. The earthquakes in El Salvador this year in January and February, caused more damage in El Salvador than Hurricane Mitch did in the entire area of Central America. This is a terrible, terrible disaster. During Hurricane Mitch, the United States provided approximately 40 percent of the overall international contribution. This amendment for $250 million would increase the overall U.S. contribution to about 40 percent of the overall international contribution. USAID called the El Salvador earthquakes the worst disasters in the region in over 50 years. Estimated costs of rebuilding El Salvador ranged between $1.6 and $2.8 billion. It is important to note that in terms of the disaster and the tragedy there, in terms of housing, 200,000 homes were destroyed by the earthquake, leaving about a half a million people homeless.”