A federal program providing funeral assistance to those who lost loved ones — excluding citizens of Micronesian nations — to COVID-19 is set to end in late September.
But the City and County of Honolulu has funded a $2 million program to assist Pacific Islander migrants on Oʻahu.
So far, only five people have applied, according to Josie Howard, executive director of We Are Oceania. She said the nonprofit has been conducting outreach across the island but is trying to do it respectfully as some may still be mourning.
“I feel like it's been a while, and to all of a sudden have this program, we're reopening wounds,” she said.
Micronesians from the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau fall under the Compacts of Free Association — treaties between the Pacific nations and the United States that allow Micronesians to migrate without a visa into the country for access to health care, education and jobs.
In exchange, the U.S. military can access the island’s water, land and air space.
During the height of the pandemic, Pacific Islanders were disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 even though they make up 4% of the state population. Non-Native Hawaiian Pacific Islanders accounted for 12% of the COVID deaths in Hawaiʻi, according to numbers provided by the Hawaiʻi Department of Health. That’s 250 individuals.
Also, Micronesians were disproportionately affected by the pandemic due to underlying health conditions like diabetes and cancer. Others faced a lack of health care or lived below the poverty line, which made the population more vulnerable to COVID-19.
FEMA made the COVID-19 federal assistance program available in May 2023 but excluded COFA citizens. FEMA officials were unavailable for an interview.
Howard said it was a challenging time for Pacific migrants in Hawaiʻi because many couldn’t send their loved ones back to their home islands due to the pandemic lockdowns.
She credited the Pacific Islander communities for stepping up to help others with the funeral costs.
“Thank goodness to our culture,” she said. “A lot of families came together to help pay for funeral expenses."
The ʻOhana Memorial Support Program seeks to provide $1.5 million in funeral aid for COFA citizens who lost loved ones due to the pandemic. Families can receive up to $9,000 per deceased individual — with a cap of $35,000 per household.
The rest of the funds — $500,000 of the $2 million — are allocated for We Are Oceania for administration and outreach to run the program.
The program is only available to Micronesians who live or have lived on Oʻahu during the time of the pandemic. Howard said the nonprofit is seeking to find others who have lived on Oʻahu during that time so they can apply for aid.
Howard said he hopes other county reps will consider creating a similar program to reach the rest of the Micronesian community who lost loved ones in the state.
