3. - usaid

comittee and the Brazilian military. Truck loads of food, medicines,
mattresses, blankets and clothing came in from private anti public organizations
as well as cities wlthin Alagoas and other States of Brazil. The
State Government opened up a "Recuperation Fundtt which totaled $63,200.
The State Government provided $30,000 of this and the rest came frm
private sources.
Two weeks after the flood, the Governor created a Secretariat for Extraordinary
Affairs to care for the cleaning up efforts and reconstruction in
the flooded areas. Dr. Tarcizio Toledo Carnauba, Director of the Institute
of Technology, was appointed as chairman and coordinator. His executive
advising board consisted of: a member of the Faculty of Economics, a
member of the Federation of Industries, a member of the Archdiocese, and
a member of the Business C m t y . This new Secretariat assumed all
responsibilities previously carried out under "Operation Ehergency".
The flrst major effort of the new Secretariat was to assist in planning
for the redevelopment of the city of Sao Jose da Laje and its reconstruction
on an elevated plain away from the river. Funding for rebuilding was
to come partly from the Federal Government, which had already placed
$250,000 at the disposal of the State Govemnt through the Superintendency
for the Development of the Northeast (SUDENE) .
The U. S. Mission reported that the Brazilian relief opepations had been
efficient. It made the following f'urther comnent: "The creation of a
tcalamity warning system1 by the Brazilian Government would seem like the
appropriate action to take to help diminish such extensive loss of fife
and property in any future disaster."
ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY THE U. S .
The U. S. Consul General in Recife, Mr. Donor Lion, initiated U. S.
Govemnt participation in the flood relief activities on arch 17, 1969,
after official request for food comnodity assistance had reached him via
the U. S. Mission's Elnergency Relief Officer, Mr. Robert R. Standley,
FFP/NE. Food for Peace comnodities were officially released for the flood
victims the same day. Prior to that on March 14, limited quantities of
P. L. 480m food had been released by Caritas to "Operation Ehergency" .
The American Ambassador exercised his disaster relief authority to W e a
cash donation from the AID contingency fund to SUDENE, in the amount
of. ................................$2,000
The money was used to buy small stoves and simple cooking equipment
for displaced families.
Following is a list of the Food for Peace comnodities diverted from stocks
of Catholic Relief Services, Church World Service and the Alagoas Project
and Work Fronts: 6-1/2 metric tons of nonfat dry milk; 15-1/2 of bulgur;
15 of CSM; 16 of rolled wheat; 8 of wheat flour and 2-1/2 of vegetable oil
with an estimated market value of ............... $15 119
'XfiF