A second shipment of humanitarian aid from the United States Government arrived this Thursday at the Abel Santamaría International Airport in Santa Clara, Villa Clara province, containing 700 food kits and another 700 hygiene kits intended for needy families in Guasimal and other communities in southern Sancti Spíritus.
The Diocese of Santa Clara confirmed the arrival of the shipment through a statement from its Press Office, which specified that the cargo was received in the morning by Vanesa Hernández Toledo, director of Cáritas Santa Clara.
The supplies will be transported to the parish of La Purísima Concepción in Guasimal, an area located to the south of Sancti Spíritus and served pastorally by the Religious Sisters of Jesus Verbo y Víctima.
According to the statement, the sisters would receive the supplies on Thursday afternoon, with the collaboration of the Diocese of Santa Clara and the Diocesan Caritas.
The assistance is aimed at the poorest families in the various villages belonging to that parish, particularly in a rural area far from the main urban centers.
Monsignor Arturo González Amador, bishop of Santa Clara, explained that the nuns and local volunteers previously received guidelines from Caritas to organize the distribution over the coming days.
The religious leader specified that the products will be distributed "to the poorest families in the various villages of the parish territory."
He also pointed out that the teams responsible for the distribution "already have the work for the next few days organized," so the operation does not start with the arrival of the plane, but is instead part of a prior planning process.
In his message, the bishop urged to support the work of Cáritas in Guasimal with prayers and called on volunteers to provide human closeness to those facing the greatest difficulties.
González expressed his hope that participants can stop, like the Good Samaritan, before "the poor and the suffering," offering them help and companionship.
The arrival of the shipment had been announced on Wednesday through a message from the bishop addressed to the pastoral agents and faithful of the diocese, where he revealed that the supplies would enter the country by air and be sent to Guasimal.
In that communication, González recalled that the first delivery of American assistance intended for the Diocese of Santa Clara was distributed in the parishes of Quemado de Güines and Rancho Veloz, to the north of Villa Clara.
He also expressed gratitude for the work of the parish volunteers and Caritas Diocesana, who were responsible for organizing the deliveries to the selected families.
The announced distribution now extends assistance to the communities of Sancti Spíritus, a province that is part of the territory served by various ecclesiastical jurisdictions, including the Diocese of Santa Clara.
The first shipment intended for that diocese arrived on September 10 at the same Abel Santamaría airport, also with 700 food kits and 700 hygiene products.
Subsequently, Cáritas expanded its distribution to rural communities in Villa Clara, including Lutgardita, Carahatas, La Esperanza, and El Conde, as well as vulnerable households in Rancho Veloz.
During those days, the volunteers delivered the products directly to the homes of vulnerable individuals, including elderly people living alone, individuals with disabilities, and families with young children.
Assistance has also arrived in other Cuban provinces. On October 6, another U.S. shipment landed in Santa Clara bound for Ciego de Ávila, while Camagüey received supplies for the communities of Lugareño and Nuevitas.
More recently, a second plane with U.S. aid arrived in Matanzas, to continue the distribution among vulnerable families in that province.
These shipments are part of the humanitarian assistance program announced by Washington for Cuba in 2026, valued at 100 million dollars, of which 60 million are channeled through Cáritas Cuba and Catholic Relief Services, including supplies and distribution costs.
Related videos:
Filed under: