September 21, 2018 — New York
The American Jewish Committee (AJC) stands with the people of Puerto Rico in honoring the memories of the thousands of casualties caused by Hurricane Maria on the one-year anniversary of this disaster.
“One year after Maria wreaked havoc, we remember the victims, fellow U.S. citizens, with great pain,” said Dina Siegel Vann, Director of AJC’s Belfer Institute for Latino and Latin American Affairs. “We also demand that the island get the same treatment other regions of the U.S. impacted by natural disasters have received. The federal funds for the reconstruction of Puerto Rico should be released with no further delays.”
In May, AJC organized a Fact-Finding and Solidarity Mission to Puerto Rico for members of its Latino Jewish Leadership Council (LJLC) and Puerto Rican leaders from the mainland. “In the last few months we have been in regular contact with our partners in government and civil society both in Puerto Rico and the continental U.S. to help coordinate advocacy efforts and advance recovery,” Siegal Vann added.
AJC calls upon all Americans to rise above the domestic political divide to help Puerto Rico so that the island can finally look to a brighter future.
