As the CNMI pushes for federal approval of D‑NAP, officials say the program could help families still recovering from the food losses caused by Sinlaku’s prolonged outages.
Nearly two months after the April typhoon tore through the Northern Mariana Islands, many households are still tallying the cost of spoiled food after weeks without power and water. Residents across Saipan, Tinian, and Rota say they were forced to throw away frozen meats, produce, dairy, and other essentials as refrigerators sat idle in the tropical heat.
Delegate Kimberlyn King‑Hinds said D‑NAP is one of the most important forms of support available to families whose income, access to food, or household stability has been disrupted by a major disaster.
“Of the many programs that become available after a disaster, one of the most important for families in the CNMI is the USDA’s Disaster Nutrition Assistance Program, or D‑NAP,” she said. “D‑NAP provides temporary food assistance to households affected by a major disaster when income, access to food, or household stability has been disrupted. For families trying to get back on their feet, it can be one of the most direct forms of support available.”
Sinlaku’s 72 hours of destructive winds toppled power poles, flooded substations, and damaged distribution lines across the islands. While restoration has improved, many neighborhoods endured weeks without electricity, and some continue to face intermittent service nearly two months later. For many families, the outages compounded the financial strain of storm recovery.
Launching D‑NAP requires a formal request from the CNMI government and approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. King‑Hinds said she recently met with Nutrition Assistance Program Administrator Margarita Aldan and Deputy Administrator Annie Reyes to review the status of the request and outline next steps.
“I was grateful to meet with NAP Administrator Margarita Aldan and Annie Reyes to discuss where we are in that process, the plan moving forward, and how my office can help,” she said. “They are working hard to move this effort forward, and I am hopeful we will have updates to share soon.”
Local officials say D‑NAP would help bridge the gap for households relying on limited store inventories, emergency distributions, and costly out‑of‑pocket purchases while waiting for full utility restoration.
As federal and local agencies continue long‑term recovery work, residents are watching closely for word on when D‑NAP might be approved — and when food assistance could finally reach households still struggling in Sinlaku’s aftermath.
