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The government of Colombia sent a National Navy ship to Cuba this Monday, carrying more than 240 tons of humanitarian aid and fuel, as part of the humanitarian operation that its government is leading in the Caribbean following the passage of Hurricane Melissa.
From the Naval Base ARC Bolívar in Cartagena, the ship ARC Victoria set sail under the command of frigate captain María Ángela Fuentes, heading to the island, where its arrival is expected on Thursday, November 6. On board are 65 crew members tasked with delivering supplies to the Cuban authorities.
The mission includes 54 tons of dry cargo, comprising food kits, hygiene products, tarps, and UHT milk, as well as 56,000 gallons of diesel, gasoline, and drinking water—essential supplies for the communities affected by the hurricane.
"The Caribbean is not alone. This is an inter-institutional effort of the Government of Change, where the entire National Risk Management System works together. In this way, Colombia reaffirms its commitment and solidarity with the peoples of the Caribbean," stated Carlos Carrillo, director of the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD).
The shipment is the result of a coordinated operation between the UNGRD, the Colombian Foreign Ministry, the National Navy, the Civil Defense, the Aerospace Force, the National Police, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Mines and Energy, and Ecopetrol, with the support of the Caribbean Naval Force.
During the departure ceremony, the director of the UNGRD, Carlos Carrillo; the Cuban ambassador to Colombia, Javier Caamaño Cairo; and the commander of the Caribbean Naval Force, Rear Admiral Carlos Hernando Oramas, were present to oversee the loading and departure of the vessel.
This shipment adds to the previous cargo of 22 tons of humanitarian aid that Colombia sent to Cuba and Jamaica at the end of October, as an immediate response to the damage caused by Hurricane Melissa.
In that first delivery, coordinated also by the UNGRD, 1,100 food kits, 1,100 personal hygiene kits, 2,800 sets of sheets, and 2,800 mosquito nets were sent.
Hurricane Melissa left a trail of destruction in eastern Cuba, where thousands of families remain without electricity or potable water, and where international humanitarian aid efforts are concentrated.
"The solidarity of the Government of Change is felt both inside and outside the country," emphasized the UNGRD in a statement. "Colombia does not forget that the Caribbean is a single region and that in difficult times, brotherly nations support each other."
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