The state is distributing Arabic documents to residents through the AAHC

FLINT — Arab residents are “all set” with filters, bottled water, testing kits and Arabic-language informational documents about lead poisoning, a community activist said.

Mona Sahouri, the executive director of the Flint-based Arab American Heritage Council, said her organization is always in contact with residents to keep the community updated.

The AAHC had identified 42 Arab American families in the city, who are mostly immigrants.

On Jan. 28, Michael Zimmer, director of the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), asked the Commission on Middle Eastern American Affairs to help connect the state to Arab Americans in Flint.

Soon after, Zimmer reached out to Sahouri. Earlier this month, the state sent Arabic flyers containing directions to resources and educational information about lead. The AAHC helped distribute the documents to residents physically.

In addition to sharing the information on social media, Sahouri said the organization is dropping off the flyers at Middle Eastern restaurants, grocery stores, mosques, churches and other places that Arab Americans may frequent.

The city’s tap water became contaminated after the state-appointed emergency manager temporarily switched its source from the Detroit system to the Flint River.

River water caused corrosion in the pipes, but the Michigan Department of Environmental Equality insisted that the water was safe to consume, despite complaints of foul odor, unusual color and outbreaks of rashes.

Independent studies showed elevated lead levels in both the water and children’s blood.

“As far as we know, the families that we reached out to, most of them are all set,” Sahouri said. “They tested their water and they have water bottle delivery on a weekly basis.”

The AAHC is partnering with local non-profits and religious organizations to ensure that Arab American residents have access to what they need to deal with the crisis.

The council is also helping translate news stories about the issue to share them with the city’s Arabic-speaking population.

“We are providing reading material in the form of articles, so our constituency is not missing out on what is being portrayed out there in the news media,” she told The Arab American News.

Sahouri was grateful to Zimmer for reaching out to the Arab American community, but said the state was late in addressing the needs of Flint’s Arabic-speaking residents.

Democratic presidential candidates former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders are set to hold a debate in Flint on March 6.

Sahouri criticized politicizing the crisis without working toward a solution.

“Everybody is talking about Flint right now,” Sahouri said. “They’re talking about how bad the situation is. Meanwhile water bottles are being delivered, but I don’t see anybody digging in the ground (to change the pipes). This can take another, what? Another two years before people start seeing some action?”

Sahouri said Flint has been suffering from government neglect long before the water issue.

“The government has failed this community in every way possible,” she added.

Sahouri questioned the motives of the “sudden” charitable efforts of some celebrities and politicians in Flint.

“Sometimes I am feeling this is becoming propaganda,” she said. “This is good PR — ‘look at me; look at what I’m doing for Flint.'”

According to Sahouri, a psychological aspect of the crisis has been largely overlooked. She said parents are worried about their children suffering the long term effects of lead exposure, and the stress could take its toll on the family.

“Who’s addressing the mother who is worried as hell right now because her child has been drinking this water for the past two years?” Sahouri asked.