Cáritas Cuba received on Tuesday at the José Martí International Airport in Havana the first shipment of humanitarian aid from the package of 100 million dollars announced by the U.S. government, of which the ecclesiastical institution will channel 60 million.
The flight, operated by 7Air Cargo from Miami, was welcomed 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 in 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 delivery to homes "will be the responsibility of 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 work will be carried out "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 growing humanitarian cooperation efforts being undertaken on the island since the beginning of this year."
Although Cáritas Cuba's statement does not specify which "vulnerability criteria" will be used, it has prioritized "single mothers with young children, seniors, people with disabilities, and those with limited or no mobility" in the past.
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 through independent non-governmental organizations, with the expectation of reaching between 100,000 and 120,000 families across the country.
The first flight departed from Miami to Havana with food and hygiene items, after the Cuban government formally accepted the assistance.
The modules 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, with the promise to support a "free and prosperous" Cuba and the warning that any attempt to interfere or divert resources will hold the island's authorities accountable.
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