US Virgin Islands Struggles To Recover From Hurricane

FEATURING GERRY YANDEL – It isn’t just Puerto Rico that has suffered enormous damage from hurricanes, but the US Virgin Islands as well. The group of small islands located 40 miles east of Puerto Rico consists of Saint Croix, Saint John, Saint Thomas, and a number of smaller surrounding islands.

The mostly Afro-Caribbean population of the US Virgin Islands has been hard hit. According to the Miami Herald, “Power has been restored to less than a third of St. Thomas residents, to 16 percent of St. Croix customers and to hardly anyone on St. John. Many schools are still too damaged to reopen. Others were destroyed or are still in use as shelters.”

Because Congressional representation of the US Virgin Islands is only in the form of a single elected delegate with limited voting capabilities, the territories are often marginalized when it comes to federal assistance.

Donations can be made to the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands HERE.

Gerry Yandel, executive editor of The Virgin lslands Daily News.