Help Is NOT On The Way
Hurricane Maria, which affected countries such as Dominica and Puerto Rico, is considered the worst recorded natural disaster to ever hit the area. Many Puerto Ricans had hope that US organizations such as FEMA would provide aid to help Puerto Ricans get back on their feet. However, in the months after the Hurricane, many Puerto Ricans claim that the US did almost nothing in assisting those affected by Hurricane Maria. In an article by the Guardian, Gloria Melendez, a Puerto Rican who works with assisting those affected by the hurricane, explains that US organizations such as FEMA only offers loans rather than aid. As a result, shelters and charitable organizations that cannot afford loans are at risk of closure if they cannot support themselves. She believes the US would be helping in a much better way by sending things that the Puerto Ricans can use to recover faster, such as supplies to rebuild shelters and basic hygienic needs in such shabby conditions.
One possible reason that US organizations did little to help the Puerto Ricans is the fact that the death toll was significantly higher than originally calculated. Originally, President Trump announced that the death toll was 64. However, subsequent reports suggest that the death toll is closer to a shocking 4,600. Most of the subsequent death reports are due to an increase in suicide rates, a lack of resources, and a collapse in infrastructure. One of the most important resources is electricity, which is used as a source for light and for powering machines in hospitals. As a result of the hurricane, many vulnerable people in hospitals and nursing homes died because of a lack of power to keep them alive.
Animal’s People by Indra Sinhap describes the struggle of a group of lower class Indians and their lives in Khaufpur. Khaufpur was struck with a chemical accident twenty years ago, and residents of the town live with deformities and disabilities, including Animal, who walks on all fours due to a deformed spine. Animal, along with a few activists in Khaufpur, want the chemical company to be held accountable for the accident, and turn to the government to assist them. However, Animal and his activist friends discover that the government leaders are corrupted by the company’s money, and relying on the government for help is useless. It is evident that the events in Animal’s People are references to the Bhopal Disaster, where over 600,000 people were exposed to dangerous chemicals at the Union Carbide India Limited plant, which resulted in the deaths of over 3,000 people.
Puerto Rico’s situation is very similar to Khaufpur, particularly because both the Puerto Ricans and the residents of Khaufpur are stranded in a disaster zone without any potential help from an outside source. Puerto Ricans rely on other governments such as the United States to send aid to help hurricane victims recover as quickly as possible. Although US organizations such as FEMA have sent loans, many charitable organizations are unable to afford loans and repairs, and are at risk of closure. Without these charitable organizations, those affected by Hurricane Maria face a higher chance at getting sick or even dying. Residents of Khaufpur rely on government leaders in order to assist them in recovering from the accident. When Zafar and his group encounter the chief minister, they confront him, asking “How much has kampani paid you?” (Sinha, 268). In their case, relying on the government proved to be useless because the government leaders were receiving money from the chemical company. Government leaders in high positions such as the chief minister are put in power in order to watch over and govern the people. The fact that the chief minister would rather take bribes than help the people he is meant to govern demonstrates the constant struggle among the poor due to corruption and personal interests.
Similar to those in Khaufpur, a large amount of Puerto Ricans express a distrust towards their governments. The Puerto Ricans believe the US should be in charge of helping victims of Hurricane Maria, since Puerto Rico is a US territory. Even though the US has sent loans through FEMA, some believe that this type of aid is “just not a realistic option for them,” according to a charity owner in an interview with the Guardian. The characters in Animal’s People also repeatedly expressed distrust towards their own government. In one scene where the characters see the chemical company’s lawyers on their way to meet some politicians, one of them assumes that “the politicians are going to betray us.” (260). Because the lower class people of Khaufpur have been suffering in the twenty years since the chemical disaster, citizens such as Zafar have become pessimistic and distrustful towards their own government. The fact that it the government leaders are still trying to negotiate deals with the chemical plant twenty years later may also lead people to believe that nothing will ever get accomplished.
The lack of attainable and realistic assistance from US organizations has led Puerto Ricans to dislike the US government as a whole. They believe the US is neglecting those affected by the hurricane, despite the fact that Puerto Rico is a US territory. Because of this, the US is seen as untrustworthy, and feel that getting help to Puerto Rico is not a top priority. The corruption in Khaufpur in Animal’s People has prevented people from getting proper treatment for two decades, which makes the recovery process for those in Khaufpur to be extremely long and painful. The people of Khaufpur have developed a strong distrust for their government, since their leaders are unreliable and are not to be trusted in helping them recover. Twenty years have passed and the citizens are still suffering. The people of Puerto Rico and Khaufpur relied on their government leaders to help them in a time of distress, but unfortunately, were let down greatly.
Works Cited:
Coto, Danica. “Puerto Rico Death Count Unusually High After Hurricane Maria.” Time, Time, 29 May 2018, time.com/5294533/puerto-rico-death-count-high/.
Sinha, Indra. Animal’s People. Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2009.
Taylor, Alan. “Bhopal: The World’s Worst Industrial Disaster, 30 Years Later.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 2 Dec. 2014, www.theatlantic.com/photo/2014/12/bhopal-the-worlds-worst-industrial-disaster-30-years-later/100864/.
Warren, Rossalyn. “‘Why Don’t They Help Us? They’re Killing Us’: Puerto Rico after the Storm | Rossalyn Warren.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 1 May 2018, www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/may/01/puerto-rico-after-hurricane-maria.
