From Texas to Puerto Rico: Sending Emergency Relief to Disaster Victims

Hurricane Harvey’s strength was alarming. Zakat Foundation of America took quick initiative in preparing supply trucks to send to Houston. It was a caravan of love. Zakat Foundation of America staff and volunteers packed hygiene kits, bottled water, cleaning products, food and baby formula to distribute to those affected by the tropical storm.

In six days, 27 trillion gallons of rain poured down on Texas and Louisiana. That equated to nearly 1 million gallons of water per Texas resident, according to a September 1 Vox report.

To compare, Hurricane Katrina in 2005 produced a total of 6.5 trillion gallons of water — roughly a quarter of what Hurricane Harvey has produced so far.

Zakat Foundation of America partnered with multiple mosques in the Houston area that served as city distribution centers. They were open to the public and assisted people of different cultures and religions to help those who needed it most.

But before Harvey ended, Hurricane Irma began to form. The emergency relief efforts did not stop. Zakat Foundation of America quickly mobilized a team of staff and volunteers to assess the damages and take action in Florida as well.

But again, it did not stop there. Zakat Foundation of America is currently working in Puerto Rico in response to the latest tropical storm: Hurricane Maria.

A hurricane’s intense, more than 100-mile-per-hour winds and heavy rainfall do more than just flood roads. They destroy homes and infrastructure. They spoil food and contaminate water, destroy crops and injure livestock. Hurricanes create long-term losses of soil fertility and create immense economic strain on affected cities.

Zakat Foundation of America sent supplies on a U.S. military ship from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico at 6 p.m. Thursday. Our local partners will distribute to those in need. The shipment contains: 2,000 units of baby food, 400 units of milk, 58 gas cook tops, 50 boxes of medical gloves, 40 gallons of medical alcohol, 40 gallons of medical soap, 30 boxes of wound dressing, and 80 boxes of medical cotton. These are supplies that were requested as high need.

With your support, Zakat Foundation of America will continue to help rebuilding affected communities until they can stand on their own once again.