A nice little story in StrategyPage today about humanitarian efforts to relieve the suffering of Nicaraguans and Hondurans as a result of Hurricane Felix by the US Navy:

U.S. Navy ships were holding training exercises off Panama last week, a huge hurricane slammed into nearby Honduras and Nicaragua. The amphibious ship USS Wasp was quickly ordered to head north for the battered Nicaraguan east coast, and render all assistance. The 40,000 ton Wasp is basically an aircraft carrier that also carries landing craft and over a thousand marines. Most of the marines are elsewhere (Iraq and Afghanistan), but the medical facilities on the ship are staffed, and can treat 600 casualties, using four main and two emergency operating rooms, plus all the other facilities you'd expect to find in a hospital.

Prior to Hurricane Felix’s landfall, USAID/OFDA pre-positioned 23 disaster response experts in Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Belize, and Mexico. USAID also provided $75,000 to support emergency preparedness activities in Nicaragua, Belize, and Honduras.

Prior to the hurricane season, USAID pre-positioned with the Nicaraguan Red Cross approximately $45,000 in relief supplies to respond to emergency needs. On September 4, the Government of Nicaragua (GON) requested international assistance for the North Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAN), and U.S. Ambassador Paul A. Trivelli declared a disaster due to the effects of the hurricane. In response, USAID/OFDA provided an initial $150,000 through USAID/Nicaragua to support emergency relief activities