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Nearly $1M in food aid distributed
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Posted on Sep 27 2004
The Emergency Food Assistance Centers have distributed nearly $1 million in aid to victims of Supertyphoon Chaba since it began operations on Sept. 18.
As of Sunday night, about 18,923 household members have received assistance from the Nutrition Assistance Program under the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs totaling about $996,063. The recipients were broken down into 3,922 households on Saipan, 742 households on Tinian, and 1,065 households on Rota.
The number, however, will have increased by now as services on Saipan were still being provided at the former courthouse and the Joeten-Kiyu Pubic Library on Susupe until 8pm yesterday.
According to NAP, no further extensions will be scheduled and all operations will be closed.
Services were originally scheduled to cease on Friday, Sept. 24, but were extended on Saipan due to the high number of applicants. Services on Tinian and Rota ceased on the original scheduled date.
According to DCCA, the extension was granted early Saturday, Sept. 25, by the U.S. Food and Nutrition Services in response to a request by the local NAP.
All Emergency Food Assistance disaster coupons must be used no later than Sept. 30, 2004. Items that can be purchased with the coupons include vegetables, fruits, fish, rice, meat, canned foods, baby formula, milk and other daily products, eggs, drinking water, and bread and other bakery products. Ineligible items include alcoholic beverages, tobacco, soap, detergents, paper products, medicine, cosmetics, toilet tissue, pampers, and betel nut.
Residents whose homes or belongings were damaged or destroyed and have substantial disaster-related expenses or lost income, resources, or their food supply as a result of Chaba qualified for assistance.
Determination of eligibility was based on liquid assets, including cash and money in the bank. The resource limit of heads of households under age 55 was $2,000, while heads of household age 55 and older was $3,000.
Applications were audited and reviewed and field studies were conducted on household cases suspected of fraud violations.
NAP recipients in August 2004 were also eligible for replacement benefits if their coupons were destroyed due to the typhoon.
