SAIPAN — Approximately 8,700 households in the CNMI are estimated to be eligible for food assistance through the Disaster Nutrition Assistance Program, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday, a day after the CNMI Department of Community and Cultural Affairs confirmed the program’s approval.
Through D-NAP, people who may not be eligible for the Nutrition Assistance Program in normal circumstances can participate if they meet specific criteria, including disaster income limits and qualifying disaster-related expenses, according to the USDA announcement. Eligible households will receive up to two months of benefits equal to the maximum monthly amount for a NAP household of their size, usable at NAP-authorized stores.
Implementation dates are still being finalized, and the CNMI will share application dates and locations through local media, USDA said.
The announcement also detailed additional USDA actions taken in response to Typhoon Sinlaku. The agency approved a waiver allowing NAP participants to buy hot foods and hot food products prepared for immediate consumption at authorized retailers territory-wide through June 27. It also approved a mass replacements waiver allowing households to receive replacement benefits lost due to power outages, and a territory-wide waiver extending certification periods and waiving periodic reporting requirements for ongoing NAP households for up to two months.
Current NAP households in the identified areas are not eligible for D-NAP, but will automatically be issued the maximum allotment plus an additional 20 percent supplement for up to six months, according to the announcement.
USDA said D-NAP timing varies with each disaster but always begins after commercial channels of food distribution have been restored and families are able to purchase and prepare food at home. Before operating the program, a territory must ensure proper public information, staffing and resources are in place.