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News | May 3, 2019

Agency supports East African relief efforts

By Jake Joy DLA Disposition Services

Mozambique is back in the news as Cyclone Kenneth batters the Eastern African nation just six weeks after Cyclone Idai caused an estimated 600 deaths and left many at risk of cholera and without adequate drinking water.

The U.S. military wrapped up its post-Idai aid and assistance efforts in the country only two weeks ago, according to Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa news releases. That effort included more than 100 task force members on the ground in Mozambique and another 100 personnel working from its headquarters at Camp Lemmonier in Djibouti.

The CJTF-HOA effort was part of a larger coalition of civil and non-governmental organizations working together under the lead of the U.S. Agency for International Development. Last week, the State Department said the U.S. government had provided 700 metric tons of aid to Mozambique that included plastic sheeting, water purification units and containers, kitchen sets, latrines and blankets.

Vincent Ramirez, DLA Disposition Services’ Djibouti site lead, said that elements of the CJTF-HOA forward teams were able to quickly evaluate his office’s on-hand stock of used and excess equipment and acquire some helpful items to augment their response mission needs as they headed out for the cyclone-battered country.

Among the equipment they scooped up for the response mission were four 5,000-watt electrical generators turned in by the U.S. Navy, a “water buffalo” portable industrial water tank turned in by an Air Force unit, tarps for protecting their equipment, and white boards for planning and coordination sessions.

The two-person DLA Disposition Services office serves the U.S. Navy-managed Camp Lemmonier, which hosts CJTF-HOA headquarters. About 4,000 service members and contract personnel conduct anti-terrorism and anti-piracy missions throughout the region and help respond to humanitarian and disaster response needs.