Photo taken on Sept. 3, 2017 shows houses damaged by Hurricane Harvey in Rockport, Texas, the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Liwei)
WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. government's emergency services may not have equitably treated vulnerable groups, including the poor, the disabled and non-native English speakers, in two hurricanes in 2017, the Washington Post reported, citing a report released recently.
In a study issued Wednesday on the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Maria, which killed 68 people in Texas and 2,975 in Puerto Rico, respectively, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights assessed how well the Federal Emergency Management Agency had met its duties to provide aid without discrimination.
The panel found that the agency failed to provide timely relief and caused delays due to unclear guidelines on access to government aid.
The difficulties were often compounded for the less rich, people with disabilities, and Black and Latino residents, who were more likely to live in lower-lying areas with greater flooding damage and had more difficulties accessing electricity and the internet, the report said. ■