The Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba (COCC) reported this Sunday that together with Cáritas Nacional they are taking the “necessary steps” with “all parties” to coordinate the distribution of humanitarian aid worth 3 million dollars in resources offered by the United States Government for those affected by the devastating Hurricane Melissa in eastern Cuba.
“The Catholic Bishops and Caritas of Cuba are taking the necessary steps and holding useful and positive conversations with all parties, so that this offer can become a reality,” said the COCC in a statement.
He also explained that he has received “a humanitarian offer from the US Administration, which passes through institutions of the Catholic Church in that country, to directly help the victims.”
The Catholic bishops stressed that after the passage of Hurricane Melissa, the affected people in the east of the country “are experiencing a catastrophic, very painful and sad situation.”
They also reiterated the request contained in your message following the impact of the hurricane in which they advocated for “prayer and solidarity, in a particular way, for those who suffer the most in the dioceses of Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, Bayamo and Holguín.”
In that message they pointed out that the humanitarian organization of the Catholic Church on the island, Cáritas Nacional de Cuba, “is in the best position to channel aid.”
From USA
The Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs, dependent on the US Department of State, released a message on
The advertisement It came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last Thursday via X that his country would offer “immediate” humanitarian aid to the “people of Cuba affected” by Melissa.
A day earlier, the head of US diplomacy, of Cuban origin, had left Cuba off the list by ensuring that the US was in “close contact with the governments of Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.”
Rubio added Thursday that his Department would issue a Declaration of Humanitarian Assistance for Cuba and was prepared to provide aid “both directly and through local partners who can most effectively distribute it to those who need it.”
That same day, the Government of Cuba reported that it had contacted the State Department in Washington and that it was “waiting for details on how and in what way they are willing to help.”
But later, Cuban authorities denounced that after the State Department’s public statement they had not received a concrete proposal regarding their offer of humanitarian aid.
Melissa crossed the eastern region of the island last Wednesday with a category 3 (out of 5) on the Saffir-Simpson scale for seven hours with strong winds, heavy rain and a severe storm surge.
Its devastating blow in the eastern region has left rivers overflowing, landslides, localities cut off by intense flooding, house collapses, damage to electrical and telecommunications services, among other damage not yet quantified by the authorities.
