The Department of Homeland Security has highlighted how FEMA, under the Biden administration, neglected the survivors of the 2023 Lahaina, Hawaii, wildfires.
In a post on X, the DHS shared a report published by the Guardian that reveals 1 in 6 survivors of the Lahina wildfires “were forced to engage in sexual acts in exchange for basic necessities like food and housing.”
The DHS further added, “These women — our fellow American citizens — were so desperate for food that they had to resort to such extreme measures just to feed themselves in our own country.”
The report further noted that the wildfires in the historic town of Lahaina also increased the number of people at risk of sex trafficking.
LOOK:
In the aftermath of the August 2023 Lahaina, Hawaii fires, a new report reveals FEMA’s horrific neglect and mismanagement under the Biden Administration.
The report highlights that 1 in 6 survivors were forced to engage in sexual acts in exchange for basic necessities like food… pic.twitter.com/YVCoWpNQsG
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) May 29, 2025
Per The Guardian:
Sexual exploitation and domestic violence soared after the catastrophic Lahaina wildfire in 2023, with pre-existing gender inequalities exposed and exacerbated by the post-disaster response, new research has found.
In the weeks and months after the deadliest American fire in a century, one in six female fire survivors surveyed felt forced to engage in sexual acts in exchange for basic necessities such as food, clothing and housing.
Immigrant women and other limited English speakers felt particularly isolated and unsafe in emergency shelters, with some sleeping with their children in vehicles – or engaging in “survival sex” for a safer place to stay, according to the new report by Tagnawa, a Filipino feminist disaster response organization in Hawaii, shared exclusively with the Guardian.
Filipinos constitute the largest immigrant community in Hawaii, accounting for around 40% of the Lahaina population before the fire – the majority women. Researchers conducted in-depth surveys with 70 Filipino women survivors.
A total of 102 people died due to the wildfires in Lahaina, and over 2,000 homes were burned to the ground.
Hawaii Governor Joshn Green has yet to address the new report but has instead been busy over the last week signing and promoting a climate change tax on tourists into law.
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Read the full article here