Food aid groups are preparing for a widespread relief effort in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Fiona caused severe flooding and wiped out the island’s power, reports Politico.
“We have spent basically the whole morning trying to assess damages and basically refine our emergency and distribution plans to put it into effect as soon as we have a clear idea of the needs and priorities,” said Denise Santos, the president of the Banco de Alimentos de Puerto Rico, a major food bank. “We are getting ready for three to four weeks of intensive distribution.”
The flooding and power outages have led to water pump failures, which has taken away the ability for many to cook, without electricity or running water.
The food bank is initially focusing on hospitals. “We have a number of patients that had to go to the hospital under the emergency without any preparation. We’re trying to provide them snacks, a meal, so that they can basically deal with the next 24 to 48 hours with that, because most of the retail establishments are closed,” she said. Full Story (Subscription Required)
Related: Kellogg, Albertsons Partner to Fight Hunger; Heatwave Hurts Produce Industry.