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href="https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Poverty-for-Post-Maria-Puerto-Rico-Up-By-8-20171128-0023.html">https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Poverty-for-Post-Maria-Puerto-Rico-Up-By-8-20171128-0023.html</a></font>
<h1 id="reader-title">Poverty for Post-Maria Puerto Rico Up By
8%</h1>
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<div id="reader-estimated-time">November 29, 2017<br>
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<p>The University of Puerto Rico in Cayey, UPR-Cayey, says
that poverty on the island has increased by 8 percent,
from 44.3 to 52.3 percent since hurricane Maria hit on
Sept. 20.</p>
<p>According to the university’s study, many Puerto Ricans
were living on the brink of poverty prior to when the
Category 4 storm hit, and now have nearly no work and an
increased cost of living. A study researcher, Jose
Caraballo said that “the hurricane exacerbated poverty
in Puerto Rico, leaving more than half the island in
poverty.</p>
<p>Yet it's not just those who were already close to
poverty who have fallen below the line. Many parts of
the island are still without continuous electricity and
water - and jobs. Because of this researchers estimate
that an additional 254,900 people, who were previously
earning between 25 and 50 percent over the poverty level
are now living below it, which could bring the island
poverty figure to nearly 60 percent.</p>
<p>And poverty on the island isn’t geographically uniform
on the island. The rural municipalities located farther
from the capital of San Juan are experiencing much
higher rates of poverty than those closer to the
northeastern capital. The municipality of Maricao has an
infant poverty rate of 82 percent, and Barranquitas, 74.
While Toa Alta infant poverty is at 35 percent, and
Guaynabo 37 percent.</p>
<p>Hurricane Maria also accentuated the increasing lack of
medical supplies on the island, including intravenous
drips used for patients in hospitals. The rate of I.V.
production on the island decreased in 2014 after
factories in Puerto Rico lowered their input because of
power outages. Some hospitals are using different size
IVs to compensate.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, in the Senate, Bernie Sanders and Senator
Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat, called for a new
"emergency credit facility" of up to US$57.2 billion for
Puerto Rico.</p>
<p>Reuters reports that Puerto Rican Governor Ricardo
Rossello is seeking more than US$94 billion in disaster
recovery aid, including US$31.1 billion for housing and
US$17.8 billion to rebuild and bolster the power grid.</p>
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