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US Puerto Rico fears post-Maria murder surge: 11 days, 32 slain

23:12  11 january  2018
23:12  11 january  2018 Source:   Associated Press

FEMA extends housing assistance program for Puerto Rico

FEMA extends housing assistance program for Puerto Rico More than 10,000 Puerto Ricans are receiving assistance under the program, which provides assistance for displaced victimsThe Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is extending it's Transitional Shelter Assistance (TSA) program Puerto Ricans who are still unable to return to their homes three months after Hurricane Maria.

Thirty-two people have been slain in Puerto Rico in the first 11 days of the year, double the number killed over the same period in 2017. If the surge proves to be more than just a temporary blip, January could be the most homicidal month on the island in at least two years

CAROLINA, Puerto Rico — Before the sun rose on the first day of 2018, someone called 911 to report the charred, bullet-riddled body of a man with a snake-like tattoo on his left hand, lying beside a road in the Puerto Rican town of Vega Baja.

A forensic worker lifts a a body at a crime scene, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018 . As the island struggles to recover from Hurricane Maria, it is facing one of the biggest spikes in violent crime in nearly a decade amid a widespread power outage, severe unemployment and an increase in police absences. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti) © The Associated Press A forensic worker lifts a a body at a crime scene, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018 . As the island struggles to recover from Hurricane Maria, it is facing one of the biggest spikes in violent crime in nearly a decade amid a widespread power outage, severe unemployment and an increase in police absences. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)

CAROLINA, Puerto Rico — Officials say 32 people have been slain in hurricane-battered Puerto Rico in the first 11 days of the year, double the number killed over the same period in 2017.

If the surge proves to be more than just a temporary blip, January could be the most homicidal month on the island in at least two years, adding a dangerous new element to the island's recovery from Hurricane Maria, its worst disaster in decades.

While the number of homicides did not immediately spike in the weeks after the hurricane struck on Sept. 20, police and independent experts say many killings appear at least partly related to its aftereffects.

Volunteers a crucial lifeline in Puerto Rico's remote areas .
Almost four months after Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico, volunteers are still serving as crucial lifelines for residents of remote areas that are difficult to reach.SAN LORENZO, Puerto Rico — As Puerto Ricans struggle to get back on their feet nearly four months after Hurricane Maria, some parts of the island feel like the devastating storm just happened — no power, no water and little access to provisions.

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