On October 2, two of the world’s leading humanitarian relief agencies, Oxfam and Save the Children, felt it necessary to speak out about the inadequate US federal response to the emerging disaster in Puerto Rico.
They observed that much more action was needed and that children’s lives were at stake. Carolyn Miles, the President and CEO of Save the Children, said: “Too many of Puerto Rico’s 3.4 million people, which includes nearly 0.7 million children, remain stranded without access to power, shelter, clean water, or fuel nearly two weeks after Hurricane Maria struck the island on September 2”.
Subsequently, both organisations have begun to work in partnership with local leaders to provide support and what they describe as an effective and sustainable response; something Oxfam said was rare for it to do in wealthy countries.
