Legal aid for Puerto Rico is helping the island recover from the effects of a devastating epidemic that killed more than 4,400 people.
Legal services and grants are being offered to communities and individuals to assist them recover and rebuild after the devastating Hurricane Maria hit.
In Puerto Rico, a federal lawsuit filed by the island government in June 2017 alleged that the island was unprepared to handle a hurricane.
It alleged that despite the devastation caused by the storm, “there were no adequate legal services to help residents recover from a devastating disaster.”
The lawsuit also alleged that “policies to address the hurricane-related trauma” were inadequate.
The suit said that in the absence of legal services and legal aid, people faced “the risk of poverty and social exclusion.”
Legal aid and grants, which were granted to the island in 2016, are funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, and are meant to assist people who need legal assistance.
They help pay for legal services while people are unable to work and are unable afford to pay for services.
The island is seeking to receive federal funds to provide legal aid and other services, but it has been denied.
The Puerto Rico legal aid office is helping residents, with the aim of providing them legal representation and assistance in accessing their case files.
It has helped people file for unemployment benefits and housing vouchers.
In a statement, the office said that legal aid has helped Puerto Rico recover and that “the island is still suffering from the impact of the hurricane.”
