Related videos:
The first material aid intended for victims of Hurricane Melissa arrived this Wednesday at the international airport in Holguín and will be distributed in eastern Cuba by the Catholic Church, through Cáritas Cuba, with support from humanitarian organizations linked to the Church.
According to information disseminated by the communication team of Cáritas and a statement from the U.S. Department of State, the first donation consists of 528 food kits and 660 hygiene kits (including water treatment supplies).
The initial delivery will focus on communities in Holguín, such as Cacocum and surrounding areas that suffered severe consequences from the storm, and the goods will be delivered "free of charge and directly" by Cáritas teams, according to the note.
The deliveries are part of a broader scheme. Information indicates that a second shipment is expected by the end of the week directed to the Diocese of Santiago de Cuba, and that the rest of the aid will continue to arrive by sea, aimed at benefiting around 6,000 families in four eastern dioceses: Holguín–Las Tunas, Bayamo–Manzanillo, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantánamo–Baracoa.
According to the statement cited by the Miami Herald, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio framed these shipments within a package of 3 million dollars committed by the Trump Administration for disaster assistance following the passage of Melissa.
The plan includes charter flights from Miami to Holguín and Santiago de Cuba, as well as a ship for the remaining assistance that would dock in Santiago "in a few weeks."
The State Department estimated that aid could reach up to 24,000 people in the most affected provinces: Santiago de Cuba, Holguín, Granma, and Guantánamo.
The note specifies that, in addition to staple foods (such as rice, beans, oil, and sugar), the Church will distribute supplies for purifying and storing water, as well as essential household items, including pots and cooking utensils, sheets and blankets, and solar lanterns to cope with power outages.
Cáritas Cuba stated that the distribution will be carried out according to its principles of safeguarding, with an emphasis on treating beneficiaries with dignity, protection, transparency, and a message of hope. Meanwhile, the cited statement indicates that Washington has taken “extraordinary measures” to ensure that the aid reaches “directly to the Cuban people” without interference or diversion from the “illegitimate regime.”
Melissa struck eastern Cuba as a category 3 hurricane in October of last year, leaving thousands of people homeless and causing damage to crops, telecommunications, electricity, and water pumping infrastructure.
The aid is set against a backdrop of crisis on the island, characterized by widespread shortages and only a few hours of electricity per day, along with the United Nations' estimates regarding the extent of human and housing damage following the cyclone.
Filed under: