The Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba (COCC) reported this Friday that in the coming weeks they hope to finalize the aid offered by the United States Government for the victims of Hurricane Melissa in the east of the country.
The statement indicates that they have already received a plane with resources from the Archdiocese of Miami to the Archdiocese of Santiago de Cuba and confirmed that another plane will arrive this Saturday to Holguín.
“Later, 2 other planes are expected: one for the diocese of Guantánamo – Baracoa, and the other for Bayamo – Manzanillo,” they highlighted.
The processing and distribution of said aid, valued at 3 million dollars in resources, will be carried out with the collaboration of Cáritas (the humanitarian organization of the Catholic Church) of both countries, they indicated.
Our Chief of Mission Mike Hammer met with Bishops of Oriente to better understand the needs of the population after Hurricane Melissa and to coordinate the $3 million in humanitarian assistance that the US government is providing directly to the most… pic.twitter.com/ps6yuCN1Az
— United States Embassy in Cuba (@USEmbCuba) November 12, 2025
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.”
The message added that from February 16 to 21 of next year they will travel to the Holy See, as they do every five years, and will meet with Pope Leo XIV.
The Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, under the US State Department, said on November 2 that it was coordinating with the Catholic Church to distribute assistance “directly to those most affected in eastern Cuba by the devastation” of Hurricane Melissa.
The announcement came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on social media that his country would offer “immediate” humanitarian aid to the “people of Cuba affected” by Melissa.
Previously, 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 later added 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.”
The United States allocates million-dollar aid to countries affected by Hurricane Melissa
Later, the Government of Cuba reported that it had contacted the State Department in Washington and that it was “waiting for clarification on how and in what way they are willing to help.”
Melissa crossed the eastern region of the island in late October 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, towns cut off by intense flooding, house collapses, damage to electrical and telecommunications services, among other damage.
