Disaster Food Assistance Funds Distributed in Puerto Rico

international | worker & community struggles and protests | press release Tuesday July 30, 2019 16:05 by Kate Zeller

The Government of Puerto Rico began distribution of emergency disaster food assistance Monday. In May, Congress approved $600 million for the Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP) as part of disaster relief measures to benefit Americans recovering from disasters such as wildfires and hurricanes.

Washington DC - The Government of Puerto Rico began distribution of emergency disaster food assistance Monday. In May, Congress approved $600 million for the Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP) as part of disaster relief measures to benefit Americans recovering from disasters such as wildfires and hurricanes.

“The funding helps more than a million vulnerable people in Puerto Rico,” said Jubilee USA Director Eric LeCompte, whose group worked with Congress and the White House on the aid package. “We are excited the money will be distributed after so many people saw these emergency disaster benefits cut.”

In March, over a million people in Puerto Rico lost NAP benefits when Congress failed to authorize funding. Jubilee USA generated thousands of phone calls and e-mails to Congress to approve the funding. In May, Congress voted for the funding and in early June President Trump signed the aid package into law. Beyond NAP funding, the plan also included $300 million in housing assistance and expedited nearly $9 billion in other disaster aid already approved for Puerto Rico.

“Puerto Rico is wrestling with many challenges and still struggling to recover from the devastating 2017 hurricane season,” noted LeCompte.

$45 million of the $600 million nutritional assistance is scheduled to be part of Monday's distribution in Puerto Rico.