The priest Leandro NaunHung, who assists with relief efforts in rural and mountainous areas of Santiago de Cuba following the passage of Hurricane Melissa, shared the testimony of an elderly woman that starkly summarizes the suffering of thousands of Cubans during the current crisis.
During his journey, the priest visited the woman and asked her if she had ever experienced such a difficult situation.
"Doing a lot of work? Had you never been through so much work? Not even during Batista?" the father asked. The elderly woman, with a gesture of resignation, nodded in silence, making it clear that the current misery surpasses even the times of Fulgencio Batista's dictatorship.
According to what he said, a nephew gave him "a little money" with which he was able to buy some food, although he showed the aftereffects of the effort: he can barely lift his arms due to pain and hardship.
Among the remnants of what used to be her home, the elderly woman pointed to the tree that fell on her during the hurricane.
Without official assistance and without answers from the government, he said he didn’t know if “they were going to take that away.”
"Whatever it can eat, it eats. I don't want clothes or anything; what I want is food," she expressed in a weak voice, reflecting the precarious situation she faces.
The priest responded empathetically, “That’s right, why would you want to watch the news?” referring to the regime’s propaganda, which stands in stark contrast to the harsh reality faced by those who have lost everything.
The parish priest informed the elderly woman that he had brought her some assistance, just as the Catholic Church and several religious organizations have been doing lately.
The scene, captured by NaunHung himself, adds to other testimonies from devastated communities in eastern Cuba where, weeks after Hurricane Melissa, state aid has yet to arrive and the affected individuals are surviving thanks to the solidarity support from the Church and private citizens.
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