Puerto Rico still needs our help

Six months after Hurricane Maria battered Puerto Rico, there is still a desperate need for help.

Posted 7:15 p.m. Sep 19, 2017 — Updated 7:15 p.m. Sep 19, 2017

Bethany Hines

and

Christopher Dawson (CNN)

(CNN) — Six months after Hurricane Maria battered Puerto Rico, there is still a desperate need for help.

You can support the recovery with the above "Take Action" button. All the charities listed in this Public Good campaign rushed to Puerto Rico in the days following the hurricane, and are still there.

Hospitals and government services are open, FEMA reports. Power and water are restored to most communities. But people are still dying. In rural areas, water buckets, solar lights and emergency aid are essential just to survive.

Still in disaster mode

The island has not fully transitioned from disaster conditions to recovery mode. Temporary blue tarps now dot the landscape, finally providing shelter from tropical rains. But only a third of people had them by the middle of December, and construction of new, permanent roofs has yet to start in many areas.

FEMA officials concede that challenges remain. They credit the public and private sectors for the progress made so far and have pledged to press on with helping the island recover.

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