More than 400,000 people are affected by the drought in Cuba, according to authorities

MIAMI, United States. – More than 400,000 people in Cuba are being affected by the meteorological drought, according to reported authorities from the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (INRH) at a recent meeting. This phenomenon occurs when there is a prolonged period without rain or with below-average rainfall.

The most affected provinces are Guantánamo, with more than 90,000 citizens; Camagüey, with more than 60,000; Santiago de Cuba, with more than 50,000; Havana, with more than 47,000, and Holguín, according to Cuban Television.

Between the 1st and on March 10 of this year, 137 municipalities of Cuba They did not report rainfall, which has aggravated the situation.

According to the official newspaper GranmaInés María Chapman Waugh, Deputy Prime Minister, recalled that this is not the first time that the country has suffered an intense drought and pointed out that, mainly the eastern provinces, have made investments to face this phenomenon, which need to be activated.

Meanwhile, the Climate Center of the Institute of Meteorology reported that accumulated rainfall should be recorded in March below the historical monthly average in the western and central regions, and within the normal range in eastern Cuba.

Vladimir Guevara Velazco, scientific director of the Institute of Meteorology, pointed out that the island is practically in the most extreme period of the meteorological drought, which, due to climatic prospects, should last for the next few months.

According to Granma, the Cuban government is working on long-term solutions, such as the construction of new infrastructures for water management and the reduction of consumption in agricultural and irrigation activities. Meanwhile, the authorities are distributing water storage tanks in the most affected areas to guarantee that the population has access to the vital liquid.