Complaints about the U.S. government’s response to a Category 4 hurricane in Puerto Rico continue to grow. On Monday, a United Nations expert on extreme poverty and human rights met with hurricane victims on the island.
U.N. envoy Philip Alston toured one of the hardest hit areas in the capital of San Juan. His visit marked the first time such a diplomat has visited the U.S. territory in recent history. Alston is trying to evaluate measures taken by the federal government after the storm hit on September 20. Roughly 45% of Puerto Rico’s 3.4 million people were already living below the poverty line before Hurricane Maria hit.
The hurricane killed dozens of people and destroyed tens of thousands of homes. Ten of the island’s 78 municipalities are still without power. Thousands of businesses remain closed. “I’ve visited areas that are still completely without power. I’ve seen areas that have lots of damage that hasn’t been removed, and that must be very distressing after three months,” Alston says. Alston’s visit comes more than a month after a group of U.N. experts criticized the U.S. government for what they said was a lack of urgency and priority in helping Puerto Rico—compared with U.S. states affected by hurricanes.
The U.S. government approved nearly $5 billion in aid for Puerto Rico in October—but local officials say they haven’t received any of those funds. Residents hope Alston’s visit could help speed up the long recovery process. Meanwhile, community leader and resident Mario Nunez says, “We’re not living. We’re surviving on what little aid we receive.”
(AP Photo: Edgardo de León sits in his living room with a hole in the ceiling caused by Hurricane Maria. A Florida company won more than $30 million in government contracts to provide tarps and plastic sheeting for repairs in Puerto Rico. But the company never delivered the supplies.)
