The Ford Foundation has announced $1.5 million in emergency funding to Puerto Rico to support recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Fiona, boosting the foundation’s commitment to long-term recovery in Puerto Rico to more than $22 million since 2017.

In partnership with local nonprofit and community organizations, the foundation is supporting philanthropic and advocacy efforts for those impacted by the storm. The catastrophic flooding left 75 percent of the island’s population without clean water and the entire island without power—and there is no clear timeline as to when utilities will be fully restored. The brunt of the storm’s impact hit areas in the southwest, where 3,600 homes are still covered by blue tarps due to damage from Hurricane Maria in 2017 and where a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck in December 2019.

Relief efforts will focus on four areas of greatest need: power, clean water, catastrophic flooding, and damaged infrastructure. According to the foundation, a strong civic infrastructure will be critical to both short- and long-term equitable recovery for all people living in Puerto Rico; moreover, long-term investments in advancing social justice in Puerto Rico will be essential to addressing the systemic disparities that threaten to undermine an equitable recovery for everyone on the island.

“Since María, Ford has promoted bolder funding initiatives to support immediate response after disasters and long-term advocacy and transformation processes. After five years of continuous support, and now in the face of the systemic challenges Fiona highlights for Puerto Rico, we feel accompanied by this foundation,” said Ariadna Michelle Godreau Aubert, founder and executive director of Ayuda Legal Puerto Rico. “We encourage other foundations to look at this juncture as a chance to step up and reimagine how to support survivors. While basic needs are by definition crucial, we also need resources to think and implement a strategy that looks towards the future conditions and possibilities of communities eager to enjoy their right to stay and return to their homes and lands, while ensuring dignified living conditions.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Frank Ramspott)