International aid organization Oxfam slams the Trump administration's 'inadequate' Puerto Rico hurricane response

A sign that says "no gas," in Puerto Rico.
(Image credit: RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP/Getty Images)

International aid organization Oxfam has taken the "rare step of intervening in an American disaster" by responding to the crisis in Puerto Rico, The Associated Press writes. "Oxfam has monitored the response in Puerto Rico closely, and we are outraged at the slow and inadequate response the U.S. government has mounted in Puerto Rico," said Oxfam America President Abby Maxman. "Clean water, food, fuel, electricity, and health care are in desperately short supply and quickly dwindling, and we're hearing excuses and criticism from the administration instead of a cohesive and compassionate response."

President Trump traveled to Puerto Rico on Tuesday to meet with government officials and aid workers. Prior to departing Washington, D.C., he told reporters he gives his administration an "A+" for their response to Hurricane Maria. Many in Puerto Rico have been critical of the White House's response, however: Two weeks after the storm, 95 percent of the territory remains without electricity and many are struggling to get potable water and fresh food.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.