The European Union (EU) announced on Thursday the approval of an additional 2.7 million euros for Cuba's recovery following the recent natural disasters that affected the country, including the passage of hurricanes Oscar, Rafael, and two earthquakes.
The delegation of the community bloc in Havana announced that this new contribution is part of the efforts made in 2024 in response to emergencies on the Caribbean island.
"This amount reflects the EU's ongoing commitment to provide assistance to the most vulnerable populations affected by natural disasters, both in Cuba and in the region," the official statement emphasized.
With this allocation, the EU has earmarked a total of four million euros in humanitarian aid to Cuba throughout the year, as noted by the news agency EFE.
In October, the community bloc sent 400,000 euros for food and medical assistance following Hurricane Oscar, which caused significant damage in the province of Guantánamo.
Additionally, it financed an air bridge with five flights that transported 107 tons of essential supplies from the European Humanitarian Response Capacity warehouses in Panama.
Also in 2024, the EU allocated 200,000 euros to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and contributed an additional 200,000 euros to the IFRC's Emergency Disaster Fund.
In recent weeks, Cuba has received support from countries such as Mexico, Japan, Spain, Russia, Venezuela, and Norway, as well as assistance channeled through multilateral organizations like the United Nations and NGOs.
The recent natural events resulted in eight fatalities, over 34,000 damaged homes, losses across 37,000 hectares of agricultural production, and severe impacts on electricity, water, and communication services, according to official data.
Filed under: