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Activists and religious leaders have reported that the Cuban regime has established "checkpoints" to prevent the entry of individuals with humanitarian aid following the passage of Melissa.
Authorities are blocking the entry of humanitarian aid organized by churches and independent organizations to the areas most affected by the recent hurricane Melissa, reported on Friday the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights (OCDH).
The Cuban regime has established "checkpoints" at the exit of the province of Las Tunas and at the entrance of Granma to prevent the passage of individuals from Christian churches, coming from the western and central parts of the island, carrying food and other assistance, the information specifies.
Reports received by the OCDH indicated that "there are still people seeking refuge on the roofs of their homes" due to the flooding, as well as areas that have been without electricity and food for four days.
In Santiago de Cuba, for example, there are neighborhoods with poles and trees lying on the ground and "entire towns that have not been reached by any authority," they add.
The OCDH demanded that the Cuban government allow the flow of aid from civil society and refrain from trying to control social initiatives.
"These established obstacles exacerbate the tragedy experienced in the eastern region of the country," they argue.
The U.S. allocates 3 million through the Catholic Church
This Sunday, the United States Government announced the allocation of 3 million dollars in humanitarian assistance for Cubans impacted by the Melissa hurricane, which devastated several provinces in the eastern part of the island.
According to the Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs of the State Department (WHA), the aid will be distributed in coordination with the Catholic Church, with the aim of reaching the most affected communities directly, without intermediaries from the Cuban government.
"The United States is coordinating with the Catholic Church the distribution of three million dollars in humanitarian assistance directly to those in eastern Cuba who were most affected by the devastation of Hurricane Melissa. Our prayers are with the brave Cuban people," noted the WHA on its official X account.
The measure reinforces the commitment of Washington to direct support for the Cuban people in times of crisis, and comes just days after Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the willingness to provide aid “without regime intermediaries”.
Hurricane Melissa, which made landfall in Cuba on October 29, left a toll of tens of thousands of affected individuals, severe damage to homes, crops, and electrical networks in the provinces of Guantánamo, Granma, Holguín, and Santiago de Cuba, where communities remain cut off.
The decision to channel aid through the Catholic Church aims to ensure that resources are delivered effectively and transparently to the most vulnerable areas, in a context where official distribution mechanisms are often controlled by the State.
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