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The government of United States reiterated this Tuesday that the humanitarian aid intended for the Cuban people following Hurricane Melissa will be channeled exclusively through the Catholic Church and the organization Caritas, avoiding any involvement from the Havana regime.
In Cuba, distribution will be through the Catholic Church and Caritas directly to the affected individuals,” reported the U.S. Embassy in Havana on its official X account (formerly Twitter), reiterating Washington's policy of ensuring that assistance reaches the population without government control.
According to an official statement from the Department of State, the U.S. government allocated an initial amount of 24 million dollars to provide emergency assistance to the countries affected by Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm, which struck the Caribbean at the end of October.
The announcement made on Wednesday responds to the recent statements from the regime that any assistance would be channeled through its official channels.
The United States has provided an initial amount of $24 million in emergency assistance to save lives, which will be allocated to Jamaica, Haiti, the Bahamas, and the Cuban people, to help those affected by the destruction caused by Hurricane Melissa.
Washington announced 12 million dollars for Jamaica; 8.5 million for Haiti; 3 million for Cuba, and 500,000 dollars for the Bahamas, after these nations faced the impact of Hurricane Melissa.
The funds will be used to provide temporary shelter, drinking water, sanitation, hygiene, food assistance, and emergency medical care.
Additionally, the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) of the U.S. government continues to assess the needs in Jamaica and the rest of the Caribbean for future phases of aid.
The decision to channel assistance through the Catholic Church and Caritas in Cuba reinforces Washington's stance of not providing funds directly to the government of Miguel Díaz-Canel, due to the lack of transparency and the history of misappropriation of humanitarian resources in previous crises.
Diplomatic sources emphasize that the priority of this aid is to assist those affected in the eastern provinces, especially in Granma, Holguín, and Las Tunas, where Hurricane Melissa caused severe material damage, flooded communities, and thousands of evacuees.
The Secretary of State Marco Rubio —who authorized the distribution of the funds— stated that the humanitarian response from the U.S. aims to “save lives and support the most vulnerable populations,” while ensuring that the assistance “will reach the hands of the Cuban people, not the regime.”
However, the regime of Havana formally expressed gratitude for the offered assistance but assured that any donations would be made through its official channels.
The official text emphasizes that the distribution of resources will be conducted "in accordance with the requirements that align with the assessment of damages and more urgent needs" and "in coordination with our authorities," a phrasing that reinforces state control over the aid process.
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