The State Department confirmed that the United States will deliver a total of 24 million dollars to countries recently affected by the passage of the Hurricane Melissaone of the most powerful recorded in the Caribbean basin.
In a statement released through his account on
— Department of State (@StateDept) November 5, 2025
According to the Efe agency report, the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, authorized the delivery of 12 million dollars to Jamaica, 8.5 to Haiti, 3 to “the people of Cuba” and 500 thousand to the Bahamas.
“These funds will be used to provide shelter, water, sanitation, hygiene, food assistance and emergency medical care,” the statement details.
The head of US diplomacy had announced last week that his country would provide support to the Caribbean nations affected by the hurricane, but he excluded Cuba from that announcement, which suffered severe damage in its eastern portion.
Subsequently, the largest Caribbean island was included, but since then with the caveat that the aid would not be delivered to its Government.
The Church as a bridge
The Government of Cuba confirmed last Thursday the existence of contact with the State Department to specify the way in which the United States could provide the announced humanitarian aid.
A few days later, the Donald Trump Administration announced a concrete offer of humanitarian aid for Cuba worth 3 million dollarsto be distributed to the victims of Hurricane Melissa through the Catholic Church.
Although the mechanisms were not detailed at that time, the inclusion of the Catholic Church in the operation seemed intended to avoid direct mediation by the island’s Government.
Bishops take the “necessary steps” to manage US aid to Cuba by Melissa
Last Sunday, the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba (COCC) announced that, together with Cáritas Nacional, it was taking the “necessary steps” with “all parties” to coordinate the distribution of humanitarian aid assigned by the United States.
One day later, and through a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment (Mincex), the Cuban authorities They appreciated the help announced by the United States through its Catholic Help Service.
In turn, they highlighted that, as on previous occasions, it would be “channeled” through institutional channels in cooperation with the Catholic Church.
Hurricane Melissa It affected more than 45 thousand houses as it passes through eastern Cuba, where significant damage is also recorded in other buildings, electrical and telecommunications infrastructure, and the agricultural sector.
Civil Defense authorities have reported that some 120,000 people remain protected in evacuation centers or in relatives’ homes.
