U.S. Acts for SE Asian Haze Relief
10/10/97
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Headline: U.S. Acts for SE Asian Haze Relief
Source: The Environment News Service
Date: 10/10/97
Copyright 1997 ENS, Inc.
WASHINGTON, DC, October 10, 1997 (ENS) - The United States will provide
immediate emergency assistance to the countries most seriously affected by
the ongoing fires in Southeast Asia - Indonesia and Malaysia, the White
House said in a statement today.
The fires have caused unprecedented levels of air pollution, which have
been aggravated by low rainfall and unusual weather patterns associated
with the El Nino Pacific Ocean warming.
The assistance package for Indonesia and Malaysia will consist of
humanitarian relief, fire-fighting equipment, air quality monitoring,
analysis of the health effects of the smoke and air pollution, and
satellite weather forecasting information.
This effort will employ the expertise of nine U.S. government agencies,
including the Department of State, the Department of Defense, the
Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S.
Agency for International Development, the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the
U.S. Fire Service and the Center for Disease Control.
The United States also is reviewing other forms of cooperation with other
affected countries in the region, including Brunei, Singapore, the
Philippines, and Thailand.