Disaster responders faced unprecedented demands for food and shelter after Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria hit within four weeks in 2017, according to FEMA.
FEMA and the Red Cross coordinate with state, local, and volunteer organizations to provide food and shelter after major disasters. We found that the agreements state and local governments made with response organizations didn’t always include information about their capacity to provide services. In some cases food and shelter needs were not met.
We made 6 recommendations aimed at improving the coordination of response activities and the measurement of response capabilities.
Food boxes prepared by the Puerto Rico Department of the Family, containing shelf-stable foods from USDA
An open box with groceries in it
