|
Puerto Rico crisis ongoing months after Hurricane Maria
[Al Jazeera] Puerto Rico remains in dire straits more than two months after Hurricane Maria slammed into the US territory, according to humanitarian organizations and US politicians.Puerto Rico's situation "remains quite serious and will require significant support for some time to come", Andrew Schroeder, director of research and analysis for global medical nonprofit Direct Relief, told Al Jazeera. "Direct Relief is planning to continue extensive support throughout the health system for the foreseeable future," he said. The island, an American territory whose people are US citizens, was dealing with a debt crisis before Maria hit, devastating its power grid and water infrastructure. Puerto Rico owes creditors more than $70bn with an additional $43bn owed in pension payments. The hurricane had sustained winds of 250km per hour when it made landfall on Puerto Rico on September 20, killing at least 55 people. Maria followed Hurricane Irma, the most powerful Caribbean hurricane on record, which grazed Puerto Rico on September 6. The ensuing damage, estimated to cost up to $95bn, has left Puerto Rico in a healthcare crisis. Direct Relief has provided community medical centres with more than $300,000 and airlifted 76 tonnes of medical supplies to Puerto Rico over the past two months. Schroeder was quick to say the crisis, along with many others, predates Maria. Before the hurricane, 73 of 78 municipalities were "medically underserved" by the US government. Schroeder explained a number of issues have contributed to the emergency, including Puerto Rico's debt and the "brain drain" of qualified medical practitioners leaving for the mainland United States. "Particularly in the interior of the island, communities faced chronic underinvestment compounded by crippling public debt," he said. Posted by: Fred 2017-11-30 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=502727 |