The Trump administration has not done enough to help the relief effort in Puerto Rico, where U.S. citizens are currently suffering without enough food or water.
Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico on Sept. 20, wiping out the island’s power and running water. That was four weeks ago, but according to CNN, roughly 1 million of the 3.4 million people living there still do not have access to drinking water and around 80 percent still do not have power.
CNN also reported that the death toll in Puerto Rico has now risen to 45 and at least two people have died from leptospirosis, a disease spread when the urine of infected animals gets into drinking water.
Another CNN article states that people have been collecting water from a well that sits on top of the Dorado Groundwater Contamination Site, an area contaminated with industrial chemicals that could cause serious health issues, such as damage to the liver and an increased risk of cancer.
Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke told CNN that she is “very satisfied” with the progress the Trump administration has made in Puerto Rico, but what Duke and the rest of the Trump administration seem to be failing to realize is that these are American citizens being forced to live without regular access to food or clean water — that is not satisfactory progress.
They deserve more than what they are being given — these people need help, and they need it now.
I’m not saying the situation in Puerto Rico hasn’t improved at all — power has been restored to a small percentage of the island and FEMA has provided more than 14 million meals according to the Washington Post and 6.2 million gallons of water according to CNN — but this is not progress that we should be “very satisfied” with. Unless the Trump administration immediately sends more food and water to Puerto Rico, people will continue to become sick.
FEMA transported supplies and personnel to Texas before Hurricane Harvey touched ground Aug. 25, and more than 31,000 employees and National Guard members were deployed to hand out supplies, according to CNN. Around 40,000 personnel were sent to Florida during Hurricane Irma, but after Hurricane Maria, FEMA reported that only 10,000 personnel were in Puerto Rico.
Additionally, President Trump waited two weeks after the hurricane before visiting Puerto Rico according to CNN, and insinuated to the removal of aid in an Oct. 12 tweet. According to the Washington Post, President Trump said that it is difficult to transport aid to Puerto Rico because it is an island — but his administration is putting human lives at risk by not doing everything in their power to support the relief effort.
There are ways that we can help fill the gap the Trump administration has left and help Puerto Ricans get the food and water they desperately need.
According to the Center for International Disaster Information, the best way to help is to donate money to relief agencies. They also recommend checking with your chosen relief agency to see what they need before donating.
People looking to volunteer can contact relief agencies or register with Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster at prvoad.communityos.org/cms/irma.
