Thousands of families in eastern Cuba, especially in Río Cauto and Cauto Cristo, regain immediate access to safe water and basic items thanks to the response of international organizations and institutions on the island.
After the serious floods caused by Melissawhich contaminated wells, destroyed supply networks and left homes without electricity or food, at least 21 thousand people already have treated drinking water thanks to three portable water treatment plants activated by Unicef and the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (INRH), with financing from the United Nations CERF Fund.
The teams, moved from Havana, Villa Clara and Holguín, run on their own generators and operate in the areas most affected by Melissa.
In addition, more than 26 thousand people benefit from 3,372 family hygiene kits, 14 tanks of 6 to 10 m³ and 4,400 10-liter tanks also distributed by Unicef. Added to this are the 1,300 kits previously delivered to evacuation centers in the province of Santiago de Cuba.
According to Yoel Martínez, Unicef Water and Sanitation Officer in Cuba, this is the leading agency on water, sanitation and hygiene issues within the United Nations System.
“In an emergency, guaranteeing safe drinking water is essential for public health. Our work focuses on addressing the most urgent needs of communities and supporting national authorities in quickly restoring service.”
For her part, Marielys del Toro, Emergency officer, explains that it is not just about getting a plant up and running, but about “ensuring that its operation is sustainable.”
Emergency kits from the Cuban Red Cross
Several affected families in Río Cauto began receiving emergency kits from the Cuban Red Cross since this Monday.
At least 16 households in the rural community El Mango, in Guamo, obtained packages with tools, food, kitchen utensils and toiletries, according to a report from Radio Bayamo.
The delivery, the report states, will be extended in the coming days to other communities in Río Cauto and the municipality of Yara.
Also over the weekend, donations of food and other items arrived in the country as part of international aid for the numerous victims. Nearly 30 tons of food sent by China arrived at the Havana airport on the first of six scheduled flights, as part of a new batch of emergency humanitarian aid provided by the Chinese Government for those affected by the meteor.
In the next few days, other donations from China will arrive by sea with mattresses, lanterns, steel coils for tiles, photovoltaic systems and other supplies that will be unloaded in the port of Santiago de Cuba.
Melissa hit eastern Cuba hard at the end of October and left severe damage to homes and state entities, electrical and telecommunications infrastructure, the agricultural sector, and the road and rail network, according to evaluations by Cuban authorities and the United Nations.
Because of the hurricane, More than half a million people in the country are still without electricity service. The recovery would have reached 100% of the clients in the province of Las Tunas, but only 58% of those in Santiago de Cuba, the most affected region. In the middle would be the provinces of Holguín (91%), Granma (95%) and Guantánamo (99%).
