On May 10, mostly rural mountainous communities in the north,
west and central regions of Puerto Rico were inundated by torrential rain that caused severe flash flooding and landslides and prompted the governor to declare of a state of emergency in approximately one-third of the island’s 78 municipalities.
Rapid assessments have shown that health centers and communities across all affected regions are facing common persistent challenges, particularly in the face of high rates of poverty. Challenges include overwhelmed and interrupted water distribution systems, lack of potable water, lack of supplies and resources to support patient managing their chronic illnesses at home, exacerbated food insecurity and increased risks for the spread of communicable diseases. Health centers shared serious concerns about the potential rise in cases of dengue, leptospirosis and other water-borne diseases, indicating that there is a need for community-based training for residents on how to promote hygiene and prevent infection during and after flooding events.
While performing assessments, International Medical Corps met with key health center partners to learn about urgent needs and distribute emergency response supplies that will helps them support vulnerable community members within their catchment areas. Based on information gathered from the assessment, International Medical is working with these organizations to procure and distribute emergency supplies that meet their immediate needs. This will include individual hygiene kits, wound care kits, foldable beds for health center staff to sleep overnight in their facilities, solar lamps, emergency medical bags, diapers and wipes for infants, small ice coolers and ice packs for diabetes patients to store their insulin at home, and mosquito repellent to prevent further spread of dengue.
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Your Support can Save Lives!
By supporting this project or creating a giving opportunity of your own, you can make a lifesaving difference for families affected by crises in Puerto Rico and worldwide.
With the support of our global community, in 2023, we:
• reached nearly 16.5 million people affected by armed conflict, natural disasters and disease outbreaks;
• delivered 9,331,598 primary healthcare consultations;
• trained 107,202 people on health, mental health, protection and nutrition-related topics; and
• assisted 2,375,098 people with vital nutrition support.
Join International Medical Corps in our mission to build a healthier and more hopeful world for all in 2024.
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*Please Note for recurring donations: Once we have determined that the community can continue to respond to the after-effects of this emergency without us, we will scale back our response efforts. At that time, we will redirect your future donations where they are needed most to help us respond to future outbreaks of conflict, disease or disaster.
