Cuban government acknowledges delays in the distribution of construction materials in Baracoa due to rain

The territory of Baracoa, one of the most affected by Hurricane Oscar and now facing a new threat of heavy rains due to a trough, is experiencing delays in the distribution of construction materials, leaving thousands of affected families unprotected.

Gienny Paján Cobas, President of the Defense Council in Baracoa, acknowledged the delay in the distribution of available materials, such as tiles and tarps, according to a report by the local government-affiliated channel Primada Visión on its Facebook profile.

In the latest Municipal Defense Council (CDM), Paján harshly criticized this situation, considering the challenging scenario the municipality is facing due to the heavy rains.

To date, only 1,801 technical reports have been prepared out of a total of 10,389 housing damages, a figure that reflects the slow pace of the process, according to the CDM.

This body emphasized the need to inject greater dynamism into the preparation of documents, highlighting the urgency of accelerating the response to the housing crisis.

It was also reported that although the basic food basket was distributed in 14 hard-to-reach warehouses, there are still 23 warehouses that have not received rice and 46 commercial units awaiting products from the World Food Programme (WFP), reflecting the slowness in logistical response, the cited source indicated.

Lastly, it was reported that by 6:00 PM, 1,818 families had been evacuated, totaling 7,118 people, of whom 6,757 were accommodated in the homes of relatives.

In the last 10 hours, the rainfall in the territory reached 18.9 millimeters, underscoring the ongoing climatic threat in the region.

Since the National Defense Council established the Informative Phase this Saturday due to the heavy rains, the provinces of Guantánamo, Santiago de Cuba, Holguín, Granma, and Las Tunas have begun to implement a series of measures to prevent a recurrence of the experience faced during Hurricane Oscar.

In Guantánamo, the area hardest hit by Hurricane Oscar, a massive evacuation of residents from San Antonio del Sur to the city of Guantánamo began on Saturday, due to the imminent heavy rains and the risk of river flooding.

The Civil Defense warned of a high risk of flooding in the area, as the rains could lead to a rapid rise in river water levels, similar to what occurred 15 days ago with Hurricane Oscar, which resulted in eight fatalities and two missing persons in that region.

The reservoirs in the province of Guantánamo are currently 47.74% full, with 163,744 cubic hectometers of water. This situation may change in the coming hours due to the forecast of rain influenced by a trough in the eastern region.