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Miguel Díaz-Canel acknowledged on Thursday the extent of the damage caused by Hurricane Melissa in the eastern part of the country, where thousands of families have lost their homes either partially or completely.
In messages posted on his X account, the leader stated that "more than 10,000 homes in Holguín have been affected by the winds and flooding from Hurricane Melissa."
He specified that during his visit to that province, he met with residents of the municipalities of Urbano Noris and Cacocum, the hardest hit by the cyclone.
Díaz-Canel stated that "the work has been well organized to face the toughest phase: recovery," although he refrained from addressing the critical situation faced by thousands of victims who still lack basic services, food, or safe shelter.
In another post, the leader noted that Santiago de Cuba is “the province most impacted” by the hurricane, and mentioned his visits to Guamá and El Cobre, two of the most affected areas.
"The damages are significant, but recovery has already begun, and with everyone's support, Santiago will continue to be Santiago," he wrote.
The statements of the leader contrast with citizen reports that describe a much more precarious reality.
In Santiago de Cuba, for example, many streets are still flooded with garbage and debris while the population faces increased difficulties in accessing food and drinking water.
While the regime promises a swift recovery, those affected continue to wait for construction materials and real assistance to rebuild what little they have left.
Last Sunday, the regime revealed that the passage of Hurricane Melissa through eastern Cuba left a scene of devastation with 1,318 total collapses of homes, according to a preliminary report released by the Ministry of Construction (MICONS).
The meteor, which struck the island as a category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, battered it during the early hours of Wednesday with winds of up to 200 kilometers per hour, intense rains, and storm surges that devastated entire communities.
The director of the Project Office of MICONS, Ricardo Guardia, reported on state television that, in addition to the total collapses, there were 16,464 affected homes, of which 1,142 sustained partial damage. Regarding roofs, 5,279 were completely lost and another 8,666 experienced partial destruction.
A subsequent report raised the number of affected homes to 45,000 cases.
“Preliminarily, there are 45,282 reported damages to homes, mostly involving roofs. The distribution of tiles has already begun,” stated the official account of the Presidency of Cuba on the social network X.
In this regard, the United Nations announced on Thursday an action plan aimed at raising 74.2 million dollars to assist one million people affected by Hurricane Melissa in eastern Cuba.
Preliminary figures –according to the UN– indicate over 60,000 homes damaged or destroyed, 461 health facilities affected, 1,552 schools with structural damage, and 78,700 hectares of crops devastated.
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