Puerto Rico governor: Food is coming, but logistics are challenging
Puerto Rico is in desperate need of assistance as the island remains in crisis five days after Hurricane Maria made landfall.
During an interview with FOX Business’ Melissa Francis on “After the Bell,” Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello said Monday relief efforts have been delayed by the limitations of air traffic control at the airport.
“The problem right now is the air traffic control. It’s been very limited to give you a sense, it’s about 20% of what normal air traffic control to Puerto Rico [is] because some of the towers have been limited,” he said.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) response teams following Hurricane Irma immediately jumped into search-and-rescue missions as Maria’s path died down in Puerto Rico.
“What we need is collaboration. We’ve been getting it from FEMA and the [Trump] administration and now just looking forward to seeing how we can start rebuilding Puerto Rico,” Rossello said.
The governor said distributing the disaster relief packages provided by FEMA, the private sector and other states has been extremely challenging.
“There is food coming. It is a little bit slow. The logistic process of delivery, it is a little bit harder because we lost telecomm and energy in Puerto Rico,” Rossello said.
Additionally, people who want to get money to their families on the island are finding it difficult to make bank-to-bank transfers. Governor Rossello said Puerto Rico has restored function to 63 ATMs across the island.
“That structure is starting to unfold again,” he said. I know it’s limited, it’s a limited area but again its function of having direct line connection and us having energy and electricity,” he said.