HOPE Is on the Ground After Earthquakes Rock Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico has been rocked by a series of earthquakes, knocking out power for nearly 1 million people and destroying buildings on the southern end of the island. Learn more about the situation on the ground and what Project HOPE is doing to help.
Nearly 1 million people in Puerto Rico are without power and hundreds of thousands are without water after a series of earthquakes struck the island, including a 6.4-magnitude earthquake that killed at least one person.
As aftershocks continue to impact Puerto Rico, shelter populations are increasing quickly on the southern end of the island. The rapid growth has led to the development of unofficial shelters, which severely lack resources, as people are sleeping outdoors in fear of the structural integrity of their homes. It may take up to a year to restore stable electrical power to parts of the island — a huge setback as people are still recovering from 2017’s Hurricane Maria.
What we’re seeing
“The last few days have been terrifying and exhausting for many families in Puerto Rico.”
Project HOPE is on the ground near the cities of Ponce and Guayanilla, working with shelters and government responders to evaluate how we can help. Our team reports that the number of people residing in shelters has grown significantly, as some of the designated shelters in Ponce have sustained structural damage and cannot be used. The official shelter in Ponce is now believed to be well over capacity, and many people are sleeping outside or in cars.
Medical professionals in the area report significant needs for insulin and cold-chain storage to help maintain the diabetes care regimens of the local population. Insulin was one of the greatest health concerns for people following Hurricane Maria — nearly 15% of all adults in Puerto Rico have diabetes, and some patients can only survive days without their medication.
How we’re responding
HOPE is working to ensure insulin supplies are safe by distributing special FRIO bags that keep the medication cold. We’ve already delivered over 200 cold storage bags at nine locations and are coordinating with government responders and other organizations to meet the needs of survivors. We are also sending 2,000 hygiene kits to shelters that will provide families with soap, toothpaste and other hygiene items that will reduce the potential for the spread of disease and help maintain basic health.
Additionally, we are in coordination with other NGO’s and partners to support deployment of a mobile solar power station for use at unofficial shelters and will launch a mobile health screening program at the unofficial shelters to help address the surge in need.
Project HOPE has worked in Puerto Rico since Hurricane Maria devastated the island in 2017, delivering over $2 million in medical supplies following the storm, including 1,500 vials of insulin.
Since Maria, we’ve helped people living with diabetes learn to better manage their health and helped strengthen the health system’s ability to weather future disasters. In partnership with the University of Puerto Rico, HOPE established a solar-powered, island-wide cold chain to ensure uninterrupted access to temperature-sensitive medicines and vaccines, even in the wake of disaster.
Read “Project HOPE External Situation Report #1, January 7, 2020
Read “Project HOPE External Situation Report #2, January 10, 2020”
How you can help
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