The Cuban Government thanked this Monday for the help announced from the United States after the devastating impact of the Hurricane Melissaand stated that, as on previous occasions, it would be “channeled” through institutional channels in cooperation with the Catholic Church.
A statement of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment (Mincex) alluded to the recent announcement of an offer of material assistance worth 3 million dollars that the Trump Administration would provide through the United States Catholic Aid Service; while indicating that in parallel there is another offer from the Archdiocese of Miami.
Both aid must reach the island through the Cuban Catholic Church, with which Mincex claims to have “a positive experience of years of cooperation linked to humanitarian work”, materialized “successfully in full coordination with our authorities and in accordance with the requirements that adjust to the evaluation of damages and most urgent needs.”
The official text appreciates “these humanitarian gestures” and explains that the protocol for any international assistance, “including that of other religious organizations in the United States themselves,” is made possible by the authorities, who—it maintains—“work to channel the contribution in the fastest and most efficient way, so that it quickly reaches the populations and territories in need.”
The statement does not detail what this “channeling” consists of in a general way, nor does it establish what the involvement of the Cuban authorities would be in the delivery of the aid now announced by the Catholic Church. Nor does it clarify the role that the Church itself or American donors would play in this process and the decision-making during it.
The Catholic Church of #Cuba manages 3 million USD in #aid for the victims of #hurricane #Melissathrough US Catholic Service and the Archdiocese of Miami. The aid will be coordinated with the Cuban authorities for rapid and effective delivery. pic.twitter.com/aL8qSz2Q9L
— MINCEX (@MINCEX_CUBA) November 3, 2025
Even though it praises the “numerous expressions of empathy and solidarity” to Cuba for the ravages of the hurricane and, in particular, recognizes the donation offered from the United States, Mincex’s clarification on the government’s participation in its organization and delivery opens a new level of uncertainty about its possible materialization.
The message from Havana eventually returns Washington’s initiative to a scenario of dispute with the island’s authorities, since the Republican Administration has said it intends that such aid does not go through Cuban state brokers or administrators.
Catholic Church reports
Sources from the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba (COCC) confirmed this Monday to OnCuba that “the pertinent steps are being taken to specify, above all, the logistical issues of how this aid will arrive here and how it will be distributed.”
On Sunday, the COCC had confirmed that together with Cáritas Nacional the “necessary steps” were being taken with “all parties” to coordinate the distribution of humanitarian aid worth $3 million 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 statement from the religious entity.
Bishops take the “necessary steps” to manage US aid to Cuba by Melissa
Found postures
On October 30, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that his Department had issued a formal declaration of Humanitarian Assistance for Cuba in response to Hurricane Melissa.
The official, a hardline supporter against Havana since his time in the Senate and who previously had not included the island in the U.S. over the hurricane, said afterward that the United States was prepared to provide aid to the island “both directly and through local partners who can distribute it more effectively to those who need it.”
Rubio noted that US legislation, which prohibits almost all trade with Cuba, includes “exemptions and authorizations related to private donations of food, medicine and other humanitarian products to Cuba, as well as disaster response.”
In a first reaction from Havana, Vice Chancellor Carlos Fernández de Cossío assured that the island’s government had “come into contact with the State Department” and was waiting for details “on how and in what way they are willing to help.”
However, hours later and in a striking change of tone, the Government and the Communist Party of the island questioned Washington’s announcement and pointed to a lifting or pause of the embargo “without conditions” as the “sincere” way to support the Cuban people.
Qualifyingly, one day after Marco Rubio’s statements, the deputy director general of the General Directorate of the United States of the Cuban Foreign Ministry, Johana Tablada, stated that until that moment the Trump Administration had not “concretized any offer” or “answered the questions that were raised about the announcement made by the Secretary of State.”
For his part, President Miguel Díaz-Canel himself then wrote in
As I already expressed, #Cuba is open and grateful for any type of help to our people, as long as it is honest, and within the framework of respect for regulations and national sovereignty, as different countries and international organizations have already been doing. pic.twitter.com/6OKtLzXbcg
— Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez (@DiazCanelB) November 1, 2025
Extremely serious situation
Preliminary reports indicate that around two million people in Cuba face great needs – including shelter, food, water and medical care – after Melissa hit the island and flooded, with catastrophic rains, large areas of land and towns due to overflowing rivers and runoff into low-lying, populated areas.
Aforementioned by The New York TimesFrancisco Pichón, UN resident coordinator for Cuba, said Melissa had caused extensive damage to homes, infrastructure, crops, schools and power lines and that at least 240 communities had been cut off due to landslides and power outages.
More than 45 thousand homes were damaged in Cuba, according to preliminary data released this Monday by the country’s Presidency, in a government meeting in which it was also specified that some 120 thousand people remain protected in evacuation centers or in relatives’ homes.
On social networks, meanwhile, citizen reports speak daily of cases of victims who lost the assets accumulated by decades of work and sacrifices and who in many cases only have the clothes they wear or minimal personal belongings in the midst of a severe crisis now accentuated to an extreme degree by the devastating impact of the hurricane.
