More than 4000 people on Saipan in the Northern Marianas (CNMI) have queued for hours to apply for food stamps, a month after Super Typhoon Yutu devastated the island and neighboring Tinian.
People lining up in the heat in the CNMI to get food stamps. Photo: Mark Rabago
The Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) gives food stamps to low-income households suffering food loss or damage caused by a natural disasters.
Some locals tried to line up as early as 5pm on Saturday to wait for D-SNAP to open on Sunday morning, forcing police to send them away.
The D-SNAP budget is estimated to be over US$8.5 million.
CNMI Governor Ralph Torres has projected 12,000 of the 14,000 households on Saipan and Tinian will apply for food stamps.