The European Union (EU) will contribute 1 million euros to help those affected by the powerful Hurricane Ian in Cuba, which left at least three dead and numerous damages on the island, reported this Saturday the diplomatic representation of Brussels in Havana.
“Hurricane Ian has had a devastating impact on Cuba and an estimated 100,000 homes have been affected,” the community bloc’s delegation in Cuba added on Twitter.
The EU also shared the message of the European Commissioner for Crisis Management, in charge of European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid and European Emergency Response Coordinator, Janez Lenarcic.
The diplomat expressed the solidarity of the 27 European countries that make up the EU with the Cuban people at this “difficult time.”
“The course of Hurricane Ian caused a devastating impact in several areas of the country. Our emergency aid will help provide vital support to those affected directly on the ground,” he said.
The #HurricaneIan has had a devastating impact on #Cuba and an estimated 100,000 homes have been affected.
The #EU will contribute 1 million euros in support of the population that is suffering the consequences. https://t.co/MGUQBjyzTK— European Union in Cuba (@UEenCuba) October 8, 2022
In recent days, assistance of various kinds has arrived in Cuba from Mexico, Venezuela and Argentina, as well as from the World Health Organization (WHO) and its regional subsidiary in the Americas.
US civil society groups close to Cuba asked in an advertisement in the newspaper New York Times the US government to temporarily lift sanctions on the island to facilitate reconstruction after the passage of Ian.
Hurricane Ian crossed the western end of Cuba 11 days ago with heavy rains and winds of up to 200 kilometers per hour, leaving three dead and extensive material damage.
According to the Cuban authorities, the passage of the hurricane also generated a complete blackout on the island, as well as damage to some 100,000 homes and serious damage to crops and infrastructure.
