December 27, 2017

Washington Post features Puerto Rico in Sin Luz: Life Without Power

The Washington Post created an *interactive article and documentary which follows the lives of those in Puerto Rico who have been affected by Hurricane Maria. We encourage you to follow the stories to see how much everyday life has changed since Hurricane Maria made landfall on September 20, 2017.

Puerto Rico’s apagón, or “super blackout,” is the longest and largest major power outage in modern U.S. history. Without electricity, there is no reliable source of clean water. School is out, indefinitely. Health care is fraught. Small businesses are faltering. The tasks of daily life are both exhausting and dangerous. There is nothing to do but wait, and no one can say when the lights will come back on.

Soon after Hurricane Maria’s devastating passage through Puerto Rico, RMF sent a team to conduct a needs assessment, bring some initial medical supplies, and form local connections. Drawing upon RMF’s emergency health programs and lessons learned in various countries, our response in Puerto Rico will include the implementation of transitional and temporary health posts, such as mobile clinic and outreach services that will seek to provide lifesaving interventions through medical triage of critical cases to functioning nearby heath facilities or hospitals, including transportation of patients by local means. Read more about our initiative on our Hurricane Maria Relief page.

Categories: Disaster Relief Puerto Rico or View All

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