The UN allocates more than 74 million dollars to Cuba to address the emergency caused by Hurricane Melissa

The United Nations announced on Thursday an action plan aimed at raising $74.2 million to assist one million people affected by Hurricane Melissa in eastern Cuba, where the storm caused significant damage to housing, infrastructure, basic services, and crops.

In the report published by ReliefWeb, the UN's humanitarian platform, the international organization described Hurricane Melissa as “one of the most intense hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic, the Caribbean, and the Gulf of Mexico,” and emphasized that the provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Holguín, and Guantánamo are among the hardest hit, with 2.2 million people severely affected.

Preliminary figures indicate more than 60,000 homes damaged or destroyed, 461 health facilities affected, 1,552 schools with structural damage, and 78,700 hectares of crops devastated.

Furthermore, 75% of mobile phone services and up to 90% of telecommunications antennas became non-operational, resulting in the disconnection of hundreds of rural communities.

The report also highlights that the Felton thermoelectric plant, the most significant in the eastern region, has suffered damages that worsen the national energy crisis.

Water supply interruptions and the loss of hydraulic infrastructure have created a critical scenario for thousands of families.

"It is urgent to support the authorities in protecting the most vulnerable groups and in restoring essential services, many of which remain interrupted or in critical condition," the document states.

Despite the evacuation and rescue efforts, the UN warns that the extent of the damage is "deep" and that recovery will require sustained support.

In its report, the organization noted that Cuba is excluded from major international financial institutions, which severely limits its capacity to respond and access emergency funds.

The action plan presented by the United Nations aims to finance the recovery of housing, restore basic services, and ensure food security in the most affected communities.

The hurricane Melissa made landfall on October 29 in the municipality of Guamá, in Santiago de Cuba, as a Category 3 cyclone on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with sustained winds of up to 195 kilometers per hour.

For more than six hours, the meteor struck five eastern provinces, leaving behind a trail of destruction and affecting more than three million people due to power outages, flooding, and structural damage.