For Immediate Release: September 22, 2022
Earlier this week, the Alaska Federation of Natives submitted four letters to President Biden, the Alaska Congressional delegation, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, and Governor Mike Dunleavy to thank our elected officials for the work they have already begun in response to the Typhoon Merbok disaster and to request comprehensive support for Western Alaska in its recovery.
These four letters detail AFN’s readiness to support efforts to bring emergency disaster funds to Western Alaska as quickly as possible, sharing important insights about our communities, their needs, and the logistical challenges that must be surmounted to deliver an effective and efficient recovery. The AFN Navigator Program is uniquely suited to establish and maintain that essential connectivity between federal agencies and villages.
More than 100 villages in Western Alaska have been affected by Typhoon Merbok, the worst storm to hit the region in more than 50 years. Homes are floating off their foundations, oil storage facilities have been carried away by floods, and schools and community centers continue to act as evacuation spaces. With the looming onset of winter and the difficult process of resupplying villages swiftly, many of which are now struggling to secure sufficient food for the coming months, federal and state authorities must act with all possible speed.
“Everyone in Alaska has a part to play in this recovery. AFN is calling on the President and OMB to recognize the broad scope of the disaster impacts, which hampers or eliminates the ability of many Tribes and communities to continue to meet their federal grant reporting obligations and to apply for new grant funding, and to allow for extended deadlines for currently existing grants while Tribes recover from catastrophic damage and flooding,” said AFN President Julie Kitka.
AFN is further calling on the Congressional delegation to fight for a strong disaster supplemental appropriation to start Alaska’s rebuilding as soon as possible, and we have asked President Biden to expedite funding for the disaster declaration filed by Governor Dunleavy. The organization stands ready to assist the federal government in any way in delivering relief to those living in Western Alaska during this difficult time. Each of the letters can be found at the following links: letter to President Biden, letter to Congressional delegation, letter to Office of Management and Budget, letter to Governor Dunleavy.
AFN is the largest statewide Native organization in Alaska. Its membership includes 158 federally recognized tribes, 141 village Native corporations, 10 regional Native corporations, and 12 regional nonprofit and tribal consortiums that contract and compact to run federal and state programs.
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Press Contact: Nicole Borromeo, [email protected]