PALIKIR, 30 NOVEMBER 2018 (FSMIS) – The Twentieth Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), during its Sixth Special Session, passed a Congressional Act appropriating US$170,000 to assist in funding relief efforts in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) after it suffered from the extraordinary effects of Typhoon Yutu.
On November 27, President Peter M. Christian signed the Congressional Act into law.
Quoting from the law itself, US$100,000 is allocated for “Mariana Islands Typhoon Yutu Relief” and $70,000 is for “subsidy to the different state-owned utilities companies in the FSM…to send linesmen and other emergency personnel to the CNMI for the relief effort.”
This is the second US$100,000 donated to the CNMI by the National Government and the people of the FSM to assist in the wake of two separate typhoons. Typhoon Yutu, formed on October 21st, 2018 and dissipated on November 3rd, 2018 is the strongest typhoon to impact the CNMI on record. It was preceded by Typhoon Mangkhut in September, 2018 which prompted the FSM to donate US$100,000 each to both the CNMI and Guam.
In addition, Teresa Filepin—the FSM Consul General for Guam—has been working with her staff and the FSM Association in Guam to gather relief supplies for Saipan and Tinian. Matson, Inc. has generously donated both a 20ft container and free shipping to support these efforts.
It is the hope of the FSM National Government that the combination of extra discretionary funding and extra manpower will help the CNMI recover soon.
