The hurricanes that have devastated the Caribbean region — including Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Dominica, and the Bahamas — serve as a stark reminder that climate change is real and makes all of us more vulnerable and interdependent.
When more than 3.4 million people were impacted by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, the Clinton Foundation answered the call for assistance from local leaders and launched the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Action Network on Post-Disaster Recovery.
When Bill and I were in Puerto Rico this week, we met with CGI partners and local residents who are committed to improving livelihoods for themselves and their neighbors. I was especially moved by the dedicated staff at a maternal health clinic which has been solarized by an equally amazing team of women solar technicians trained by one of our CGI partners. Their collaboration epitomizes what this work is all about and demonstrates what we can accomplish when we all work together.
Working with 700+ partners, the CGI Action Network is helping affected communities recover, rebuild, and become more resilient. And Network members were among the first to respond when Hurricane Dorian devastated the Bahamas and recent earthquakes crippled Puerto Rico. Recovery takes time, and they still need our help.
Despite of all the polarization in our country, we’re still in this together, and with your help, we can continue to bring hope, resources, and our shared humanity to our neighbors in need.
Last month, Bill and I traveled to Puerto Rico, where we met with Governor Rosselló to discuss recovery, and the obstacles the island is facing without the federal aid they’d been promised by the Trump administration — aid that has since been significantly reduced. We also met with farmers who are working in conjunction with local food programs to rebuild agricultural infrastructure and ensure that no one is without access to a warm, healthy meal.
At Cosechas Tierra Viva farm, recycled tires that build up across the island become raised beds for cucumbers, and rainwater is harvested to water fruit trees. Franco and Natalia Marcano Medina, along with their team, are creating a model for modern farming that their neighbors can learn from and replicate. Their innovation and leadership should be heralded as the best of our country.
Stories like these have been lost recently amid the latest drama out of the White House. But when we lose the opportunity to hear each others’ stories, we lose the compassion that is so critical to our ability to move forward as one nation.
I’m proud to be a part of a team that has always been committed to focusing on people, and I’m so glad that we’re a part of each others’ stories.
"From solarizing schools to teaching students to code, the members of this Action Network are working hard to ensure that these storms don’t leave our children and young people behind" —@HillaryClinton#IdeasIntoAction
Bill and Hillary Clinton talk with Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda’s father, Luis (left), on Sunday
Adam Carlson
7-8 minutes
Bill and Hillary Clinton, in Puerto Rico for hurricane recovery work, had dinner Monday with Lin-Manuel Miranda and George Clooney after seeing Hamilton
Lin-Manuel Miranda on Sunday gave his final bow for a special production of Hamilton in Puerto Rico — and Bill and Hillary Clinton were in the audience after traveling to the island this week to support their foundation’s hurricane recovery work.
The next night, a source tells PEOPLE, the trio headed to dinner at San Juan’s Cocina Abierta where they were joined by George Clooney, chef José Andrés and Miranda’s father, Luis, along with Clinton Foundation supporters.
Having an amazing day touring @ClintonGlobal sites in Puerto Rico. Started the day with @chefjoseandres at a Plow to Plate farm, one of many made possible through José's energy & ingenuity and a CGI commitment. pic.twitter.com/LqFFvQKGeY
.@Foundation_PR shared how they’re helping provide financial training and loans for small businesses to reestablish livelihoods and rebuild a sense of community. pic.twitter.com/dqxM12OBTk
Time to make the churros at Kreamy Ice Cream Shop in Puerto Rico. @ClintonGlobal and @Foundation_PR are working together to deploy $1.2 million in grants to local entrepreneurs as small businesses continue to recover from Hurricane Maria. pic.twitter.com/as2oSoYqZ5
Hurricane Maria decimated trees and ecosystems in Puerto Rico. Para La Naturaleza's nurseries have made a CGI commitment to plant 750,000 trees in seven years. The team here has already grown 120,000 seedlings and planted 30,000 trees. pic.twitter.com/QR1T5cvtxR
In Puerto Rico for CGI’s 5th Action Network meeting with @BillClinton. Kicked off the week by going to see @Lin_Manuel & the incredible cast of Hamilton perform to benefit the hurricane recovery efforts.
76-Ton Airlift of Medicine and Medical Supplies Lands in Puerto Rico
44 Companies Step Up to Address Severe Shortages
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO, October 27, 2017 — Direct Relief today airlifted 152,604 lbs. of urgently needed medical resources to Puerto Rico, where medical shortages persist more than a month after Hurricane Maria devastated the island.
The Direct Relief-chartered MD-11 cargo jet contained $21 million (wholesale) in donated medical resources from 44 companies (full list of companies below), including extensive quantities of intravenous solutions and prescription medications for acute conditions and chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension resulting from recreational marijuana dispensary that can rapidly become medical emergencies if not managed.
“This airlift will go a long way towards helping our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico, and I am eternally grateful to Direct Relief and all of the organizations involved,” said President Bill Clinton, 42nd President of the United States, and founder and board chair of the Clinton Foundation. “Their efforts are a reminder that when so many people need our help, our common humanity matters even more.”
The Clinton Foundation has supported Direct Relief’s work for years, including the recovery efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake and the response to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014. In the response to the Caribbean hurricanes this year, the Clinton Foundation has helped to coordinate and advise the team at Direct Relief. Read a from-the-tarmac report from Clinton Foundation staff on the airlift here.
Businesses Step Up to Fill Resource Gap
Direct Relief works with dozens of healthcare companies’ philanthropic arms on an ongoing basis to address public health needs and humanitarian crises across the globe and in all 50 U.S. states. This private philanthropic support from businesses, as well as philanthropic support from individuals, foundations, and organizations has enabled a massively stepped-up response to assist in Puerto Rico, where health services have been severely constricted by the extensive damage caused by Hurricane Maria.
44 companies joined in filling specific requests that Direct Relief received from nonprofit health centers, government facilities, and private hospitals in Puerto Rico – all of which have been struggling to restore and expand services to care for the island’s more than 3 million residents.
“Direct Relief has been a wonderful partner for Eli Lilly and Company,” said Rob Smith, senior director of corporate responsibility and president of the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation. “We have worked together to get insulin to those impacted by the devastating effects of Hurricane Maria. Lilly could not ask for a more capable, responsive, and compassionate partner. We are so grateful for all of the things Direct Relief is doing to help the great people of Puerto Rico recover from this terrible disaster.”
The medicines and supplies on the flight were donated by the following companies:
Today’s airlift follows several weeks of smaller-scale airlifts and hand-carried medications and emergency medical resources to dozens of Puerto Rico’s nonprofit health centers and medical teams organized by the Puerto Rico Department of Health.
Among the critical items has been 565 vials of blood-clotting factor for children with hemophilia, 15,600 vials of insulin, 35 pre-kitted emergency medical packs containing a broad range of Rx medications and supplies, as well as 1500 solar lights and over 4000 bottles of insect repellant to protect against Zika virus.
Direct Relief’s response in Puerto Rico has been concurrent with extensive responses to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma that preceded Maria.
Since Hurricane Harvey’s landfall on August 25, Direct Relief has sent 148 tons of medications, vaccines, and medical supplies valued at $64.7 million (wholesale) and including 19 million defined daily doses of Rx medications delivered via 560 emergency shipments to 143 partner organizations in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, USVI and seven Caribbean countries.
In addition, Direct Relief has provided and committed financial support in the form of grants totaling over $2.7 million to 43 nonprofit health centers and clinics and their primary care associations in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico.
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About Direct Relief
Established in 1948 with a mission to improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies, Direct Relief delivers lifesaving medical resources throughout the world – without regard to politics, religion, ethnic identities, or ability to pay. Direct Relief is the only charitable nonprofit to obtain Verified Accredited Wholesale Distributor (VAWD) accreditation by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. Among other distinctions, Direct Relief earns a perfect score of 100 from independent evaluator Charity Navigator, was listed among the world’s most innovative nonprofits by Fast Company, and has received the CECP Directors’ Award, the Drucker Prize for Nonprofit Innovation, and the President’s Award from Esri for excellence in GIS mapping. For more information, please visit https://www.DirectRelief.org.
About the Clinton Foundation
The Clinton Foundation convenes businesses, governments, NGOs, and individuals to improve global health and wellness, increase opportunity for girls and women, reduce childhood obesity, create economic opportunity and growth, and help communities address the effects of climate change. Because of our work, nearly 35,000 American schools have provided kids with healthy food choices in an effort to eradicate childhood obesity; more than 150,000 farmers in Malawi, Rwanda, and Tanzania are benefiting from climate-smart agronomic training, higher yields, and increased market access; working with partners, more than 8.5 million trees and tree seedlings have been planted to strengthen ecosystems and livelihoods; over 600,000 people have been impacted through market opportunities created by social enterprises and health and wellbeing programs in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia, and Africa; through the independent Clinton Health Access Initiative, over 11.5 million people in more than 70 countries have access to CHAI-negotiated prices for HIV/AIDS medications; an estimated 85 million people in the U.S. will be reached through strategic health partnerships developed across industry sectors at both the local and national level; and members of the Clinton Global Initiative community have made more than 3,600 Commitments to Action, which have improved the lives of over 435 million people in more than 180 countries.
Over 150,000 pounds of medical supplies — specifically requested by medical facilities across Puerto Rico with pallets tailored to what each facility is requesting and needs — is loaded onto an MD-11 at Miami International Airport on Friday, bound for Puerto Rico.
By Rebekah Curtis-Heald, Commitments Manager at the Clinton Global Initiative
This post is part of a recurring series of perspectives on the impact of our work by staff and partners of the Clinton Foundation.
Hurricane Maria has left a trail of devastation through several Caribbean islands, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Since making landfall in Dominica on September 19, Hurricane Maria has been responsible for at least 93 deaths and catastrophic damage across the region. Cell service outages and fuel shortages have made distribution of aid difficult. The number of Puerto Ricans with power is actually decreasing from just after the storm, with only 18 percent of the island’s residents having power.
At the Clinton Foundation, I work as part of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) team which supports members of the CGI community — nonprofits, businesses, and others from civil society. In this role in the past two months, I’ve been working with a team here at the Foundation helping a wide range of organizations and individuals plug into hurricane relief efforts and organize work based on what’s needed on the ground.
One member of the CGI community that has been particularly active is Direct Relief, a nonprofit that works in more than 70 countries and all 50 states to provide help to those affected by poverty or emergencies, delivering lifesaving medical resources. At CGI, we have a long history of working with Direct Relief to coordinate response efforts — from recovery from the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, to a 2014 airlift of medical supplies for Ebola response in West Africa. Over the past few years I’ve worked personally with Direct Relief’s international emergency response team as we coordinated relief efforts after natural disasters, as well as their Haiti team as they’ve continued to support the recovery in the country, including in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew in 2016.
FORMER U.S. PRESIDENTS’ “ONE AMERICA APPEAL” EXPANDS TO INCLUDE HURRICANE RECOVERY IN PUERTO RICO AND U.S.V.I.
Already expanded once to encompass Hurricane Irma recovery in Florida, monies donated through OneAmericaAppeal.org will now also benefit two official recovery funds in the Caribbean
Responding to urgent, widespread need in the midst of a catastrophic hurricane season, the “One America Appeal” today announced their efforts will also aid the recovery from Hurricane Maria after it devastated Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Official funds in each location have been identified to channel donations for Hurricane Maria relief: Unidos Por Puerto Rico, and the Fund for the Virgin Islands.
Now individuals, foundations and institutions making tax deductible donations at OneAmericaAppeal.org may choose to assist all three recovery efforts from Hurricanes Harvey in Texas, Irma in Florida and Maria in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands – or to direct their donation to a specific recovery effort – using the drop-down menu in the website’s donation section. Checks may also be mailed to the address on the website.
Launched by the office of First Lady Beatriz Rosselló together with private sector coalition, Unidos Por Puerto Rico, or United for Puerto Rico, is a 50l(c)(3) organization staffed completely by volunteers. Donated funds will be processed by 1FirstBank of Puerto Rico and utilized under the direct guidance of the Office of the First Lady to help meet the immediate emergency aid needs of citizens. Eventually, funds will also be provided to help rebuild homes and local community facilities. The organization will provide the necessary material to rebuild these structures, as well as all-volunteer labor.
The Fund for the Virgin Islands was established by the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that has been operating for more than 25 years supporting past relief efforts in the region. CFVI is working closely with government and community providers to identify priorities and direct resources for immediate needs as well as long-term recovery efforts.
Funds donated to the One America Appeal are received in a special restricted account established by the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library Foundation to ensure 100 cents out of every dollar given go to assist the recovery from these highly destructive hurricanes. The other funds designated to receive support through the One America Appeal are: the Florida Disaster Recovery Fund; the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund focusing on the greater Houston region; and the Rebuild Texas Fund assisting communities across the state.
… we saw the arrival of the USNS Comfort, a hospital ship with more than 600 medical personnel, that adds important capacity to our relief efforts. Already, patients are being taken on board via helicopter, and treated. The Comfort adds to what is one of the largest international rescue and relief efforts in history. Food, water, medical supplies, and other essential aid continue to flow into the country.
Today, in the wake of Hurricane Maria, Hillary tweeted that the Navy and specifically USNS Comfort should be sent in to assist residents of Puerto Rico.
President Trump, Sec. Mattis, and DOD should send the Navy, including the USNS Comfort, to Puerto Rico now. These are American citizens. https://t.co/J2FVg4II0n
This is a no-brainer and should have been done days ago. It is deplorable that the president is busy leading “lock her up” chants, disinviting Stephen Curry to the White House, and ranting about sports figures genuflecting instead of standing for the national anthem but has no time to address the misery of American citizens on a devastated island.
Hillary Clinton released the following statement on the passage of PROMESA, which authorizes the Government of Puerto Rico to restructure their debt and creates a federal oversight board:
“Puerto Rico’s continuing economic crisis has caused real suffering for the people of the island. The bill the Senate passed today is the best chance we have of averting a fiscal crisis on July 1. The bill is by no means perfect, and I continue to have serious concerns about some of the provisions it contains. That’s why, as this bill is implemented, I will continue to stand with the people of Puerto Rico to ensure that the oversight board created by this legislation is made up of members who will act in the best interest of Puerto Ricans, and protect their health care, pensions, wages, and well-being. And it is past time that we put the interests of American citizens ahead of hedge fund profits—which is why I will fight with the people of Puerto Rico to put the island’s economy back on a stable and prosperous path, including by ensuring Puerto Rico is treated equitably under federal law.”
Hillary Clinton hizo las siguientes declaraciones sobre la aprobación de PROMESA, el cual autoriza al gobierno de Puerto Rico reestructurar su deuda y crea una junta federal de supervision:
“La continua crisis económica de Puerto Rico ha causado gran sufrimiento en los puertorriqueños. El proyecto de ley aprobado hoy por el Senado es la mejor opción que tenemos en este momento para evitar una crisis fiscal el 1ro de julio. El proyecto no es para nada perfecto y continúo teniendo serias preocupaciones sobre algunas de las provisiones. Es por eso que a medida que la ley se implemente yo continuaré estando del lado del pueblo de Puerto Rico. Quiero asegurarme que la junta de supervisión creada por esta legislación esté compuesta por miembros que actúen trabajando por el mejor interés de los puertorriqueños, protegiendo su sistema de salud, sus pensiones, sus salarios y su bienestar. Desde hace tiempo deberíamos haber puesto los intereses de ciudadanos estadounidenses por encima de las ganancias de los gestores de fondos. Es por eso que lucharé junto con el pueblo de Puerto Rico para poner la economía de la Isla de vuelta en un camino de estabilidad y prosperidad, incluyendo asegurarnos de que Puerto Rico sea tratado con igualdad bajo la ley federal”.
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"... ratify the Law of the Sea Convention, which has provided the international framework for exploring these new opportunities in the Arctic. We abide by the international law that undergirds the convention, but we think the United States should be a member, because the convention sets down the rules of the road that protect freedom of navigation, provide maritime security, serve the interests of every nation that relies on sea lanes for commerce and trade, and also sets the framework for exploration for the natural resources that may be present in the Arctic." -HRC, 06-03-12, Tromso Norway
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