Puerto Rico seeks waiver of shipping restrictions to speed hurricane relief

Puerto Rico officials pressed the Trump administration on Wednesday to lift a ban on foreign shipping between American ports while the U.S. island territory struggled with fuel, water and medical shortages one week after Hurricane Maria struck.

Even as federal emergency management authorities and the U.S. military stepped up relief efforts, many residents on the island of 3.4 million people voiced exasperation at the prolonged lack of electricity, reliable drinking supplies and other essentials.

Maria, the most powerful hurricane to hit Puerto Rico in nearly 90 years, swept across the island with roof-ripping winds last Wednesday, knocking out the territory’s entire power grid, unleashing severe flooding and causing widespread heavy damage to homes and infrastructure.

The storm claimed more than 30 lives across the Caribbean, including at least 16 in Puerto Rico. Governor Ricardo Rossello called the devastation an unprecedented natural disaster.

Read the whole story from Reuters.

Featured image courtesy of AP