U.S. Embassy Belize Hands Over New Building to Machaca Forestry Department

The U.S. Embassy handed over a new building valued at $973,000 USD ($1,946,000 BZD) to the Machaca Forestry Department of the Toledo District on June 13, 2019. The project was led by the Embassy’s Security Cooperation Office and funded by the U.S. Department of Defense Humanitarian Assistance Program (HAP) through the U.S. Southern Command.
The facility will serve as a daily operating location for the Forestry Department and will be able to accommodate joint meetings with the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) and other entities in times of disaster relief. The building houses a reception area, a conference room, three offices, storage space, a breakout room, three bathrooms, and five bunk rooms.
HAP is also furnishing the Emergency Operation Center (EOC) and Disaster Relief Warehouse (DRW) in Toledo, and is providing training at both sites. Some of the other ongoing HAP projects in Belize include the fire station in Belmopan and a four-room school building in San Isidro Village. Additionally, we are in the initial planning stages of the Beyond the Horizon exercise led by the U.S. Southern Command that will take place in Belize in 2020.