Cáritas Cuba received the first shipment of humanitarian aid on Tuesday at the José Martí International Airport in Havana, from the package of 100 million dollars announced by the United States government, of which the ecclesial institution will channel 60 million.
The flight, operated by 7Air Cargo from Miami, was received by Cardinal Juan de la Caridad García Rodríguez, along with Carmen María Nodal Martínez, director of Cáritas Cuba, and Ángel Miguel Gutiérrez Valdivia, diocesan director of Cáritas Habana.
The statement explains that the shipment: "includes food and hygiene kits that will benefit 700 families from the Archdiocese of Havana, whose distribution will be carried out according to the vulnerability criteria established for this type of assistance."
Cáritas Cuba emphasized that the distribution to households "will be handled by volunteers from the parish communities, who are already organized to ensure this process is carried out effectively."
Furthermore, the institution was very clear in stating that the volunteer effort will be conducted "with a focus on respect and close support for the beneficiaries, prioritizing transparency and humane treatment in each community."
According to the organization, the remainder of the donation will be managed in successive phases, "in the context of the increasing humanitarian cooperation efforts being undertaken on the island since the beginning of this year."
Although the statement from Cáritas Cuba does not specify which "vulnerability criteria" it will use, in previous instances it has prioritized "single mothers with young children, the elderly, people with disabilities, and individuals with limited or no mobility."
The shipment is part of a humanitarian aid program of up to 100 million dollars announced by Washington.
Of that total, 60 million will be channeled through the Catholic Church, and the remaining 40 million will go through independent non-governmental organizations, with the aim of reaching between 100,000 and 120,000 families across the country.
The first flight departed from Miami to Havana carrying food and hygiene items, after the Cuban government formally accepted the assistance.
The packages include products such as rice, beans, tuna, sardines, oil, spaghetti, sugar, and salt, as well as hygiene items and, in some cases, flashlights and buckets.
The boxes identify the donation as a contribution from the American people to the citizens of Cuba.
The initiative was presented by the United States as part of a direct assistance plan for the Cuban population, promising to support a "free and prosperous" Cuba, along with a warning that any attempt to interfere with or divert resources will hold the authorities of the island accountable.
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