Severe disasters can reduce even well-resourced communities to low-resource conditions almost instantly. Recovery becomes even more challenging on an island located more than 1,000 miles from the U.S. mainland, where supply chains and communication systems can be severely disrupted. Lourdes Santaballa, founder of Alimentación Segura Infantil (ASI), shares lessons learned from supporting infants and families in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria and other crises. Drawing on her experience in infant and young child feeding in emergencies (IYCF-E), she highlights the importance of professional networks, community training, breastfeeding support, and adaptable emergency response strategies to protect families during disasters.
