The U.S. government is taking over the reins of relief efforts in Puerto Rico, after the local government has failed to properly deliver to the people in need the food, water, medicine, and other supplies arriving at the territory’s ports following the devastation of Hurricane Maria. On Oct. 8, troops began handing out the supplies directly.
This was a shift, the Miami Herald reported, from previous methods where relief supplies were delivered to 10 regional staging areas in Puerto Rico, and the local mayors “were largely responsible for arranging pick-up and distribution.” It noted the militarizing of the relief efforts was done as some of the local mayors “stumble on the job.”
