2008 Speeches

Handing Over Ceremony of Excess Property for Belmopan NEMO Warehouse (January 23, 2008)

NEMO Warehouse
Belmopan

(L-R) NEMO Director LTC(R) George Lovell and U.S. Ambassador Robert J. Dieter at the Handing Over Ceremony

Good Morning. 

It is my pleasure to represent the United States Government today at the handing over ceremony of supplies donated to the National Emergency Management Organization.

Items donated include medical supplies, tents, cots, sleeping mats, sleeping bags, and flood lights.  The total value of this donation is just over US $162,000 (BZ $324,000).

This donation was funded by the Humanitarian Assistance Program (HAP) and executed by the US Southern Command headquartered in Miami.  In 2007 alone, U.S. Southern Command completed 18 Humanitarian Assistance projects in 10 Caribbean countries at an overall cost of $4,420,000 and in Central America SOUTHCOM completed some 51 Humanitarian Assistance projects at an overall cost of $8,808,743. 

As you know, the HAP program has been very active in Belize, conducting annual medical exercises that bring medical care to thousands of rural Belizeans. This program has made possible the renovation of the disaster relief warehouse located in Ladyville, built the Belmopan and Big Creek NEMO warehouses, and also delivered excess property items to Belize which have greatly benefited schools, medical clinics and the Youth Hostel in Rockville.  Future plans for the HAP program are to build another NEMO warehouse in the northern part of Belize and to provide medical and disaster relief supplies for it once it is constructed. 

Let me close by saying that I look forward to continuing our close relationship with NEMO.  I congratulate the National Emergency Management Organization and its director, LTC(R) George Lovell for all of the hard work they have done during this very active hurricane season.  

I am proud of this donation, and proud of the U.S. Mission’s work with the National Emergency Management Organization.  It is another example of good work through partnership.

Thank you all for attending.