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The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has allocated over 2.2 million dollars to the eastern provinces of Cuba affected by Hurricane Melissa, aimed at supporting the recovery of homes, shelters, and basic services in the most severely impacted areas.
According to a report by the PNUD in its latest update, the funds mobilized so far are part of the coordinated response of the United Nations System in Cuba to the severe impacts of the hurricane, which left more than 90,000 affected homes in the provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Holguín, and Guantánamo.
The aid includes contributions from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism, channeled through the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
In the province of Granma, 12,000 metal sheets for roofs were sent along with 3,963 tarps intended for temporary shelters, as well as 42 specialized tool kits and six chainsaws for the reconstruction brigades.
In Guantánamo, the distribution includes 217 tool kits, 2,000 individual mattresses, and 720 tarps to restore basic living conditions in the municipality of Imías.
Santiago de Cuba received another 4,375 tarps to cover damaged homes, primarily in Guamá.
The initiative also includes the delivery of seven electric generators to Early Warning Points, aimed at facilitating the charging of essential equipment and ensuring coordination in the local response to emergencies.
These actions are carried out in close collaboration with the Civil Defense, which maintains operational control of the distribution on the ground.
UNDP highlighted that the resources aim to strengthen local capacities to provide safe shelters and to accelerate the early recovery of affected families.
The organization anticipates new deliveries of materials and equipment in the coming weeks as international funding is secured.
While the regime struggles to cope with the reconstruction, international aid continues to be the main support for thousands of families in eastern Cuba who are facing the devastation left by Hurricane Melissa.
Furthermore, although the government has not officially declared a state of disaster, the extent of the damage and the scale of international aid highlight the true magnitude of the disaster.
The hurricane Melissa affected more than 3.5 million Cubans, according to new estimates from the United Nations that significantly raise the initial figures published by the island's government.
The information was disseminated by the agency EFE, which cited an official UN report prepared following an assessment visit to the most devastated areas of eastern Cuba, where the cyclone made landfall twelve days ago as a category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
According to the report, more than 90,000 homes suffered partial or total damage and about 100,000 hectares of crops were devastated.
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