MANAGUA, Oct. 31 (Xinhuanet) -- The United States donated on Monday 200,000 US dollars in emergency aid to Nicaragua after hurricane Beta touched down on the country's central Caribbean coast, a press release said.

    The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) donated 150,000 dollars as an immediate response to the Nicaraguan government's call for emergency aid, the release confirmed.

    It also said the agency donated another 50,000 dollars to obtain 5,000 hygiene packs and 200 plastic rolls for the roofing of 1,200 emergency shelters, expected to arrive in the country soon.

    The hurricane destroyed nearly 80 percent of houses in four communities located in the impact area north of Bluefields, capital of Caribe Sur, Nicaraguan Civil Defense Chief Col. Mario Perez said.

    USAID has a team of disaster-management experts who are, for the time being, providing support to the assistance efforts coordinated by Nicaragua's National Disaster Prevention, Management and Attention System (SINAPRED).

    Beta has turned into a tropical depression, with only some lingering rainfalls ensuing from it in Nicaragua.

    The Nicaraguan government has confirmed that no life was lost in the natural disaster, and that damage assessment was carried out on Monday. Enditem