MIAMI, United States. – Hurricane Oscar left more than 12,180 homes affected in the municipalities of Baracoa, Maisí, San Antonio del Sur and Imías, according to official data released in the podcast From the Presidency of the ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel.
Participants in the propaganda program they admitted that Oscar’s main damage in Guantánamo is concentrated in the housing sector.
According to the authorities of the regime, of the more than 12,000 damages registered, just over 2,000 homes have been visited. Officials from the evaluation commissions reported 140 total collapses and 365 partial ones.
In addition, more than 56 kilometers of roads have been damaged and 19,975 hectares of different agricultural productions are damaged, which represents another blow to the nutrition of the population that already faces shortages and inflation.
The podcast also mentioned that “affects still persist in electricity, communications and water supply services, as well as in 634 state facilities, especially in the Education, Health and Commerce sectors.”
Deputy Prime Minister Inés María Chapman Waugh reported that water service has been restored to 88.3%. In addition, he highlighted the delivery of some 300 mattresses to vulnerable people.
However, the Government announced that the Cubans who lost everything and others who suffered great losses They must assume 50% of the cost of mattresses and construction materials to repair or rebuild their homes damaged after Hurricane Oscar.
The Council of Ministers established that “from the State Budget, a 50% discount on the price of construction materials will be given to people whose homes are totally or partially damaged, and the prices of mattresses sold to the victims due to the impact of this hydrometeorological event.”
For those whose income is not sufficient to acquire these goods, “bank credits are available, request subsidies for the purchase of construction materials charged to the State Budget, or request financing from Social Assistance, in accordance with the provisions of the current legislation.”
When referring to the “lessons of those days” of Hurricane Oscar, Díaz-Canel stated that we cannot “continue repeating constructive or action errors,” and stressed that “communication cannot be underestimated.”
The Cuban leader was confronted during his visit to Guantánamo after the disaster by citizens who questioned the actions of the Government, the abandonment of the authorities in the midst of the floods and the lack of information about the situation during the collapse of the national electrical system.
According to official data, Hurricane Oscar has left eight dead and two missing in Guantánamo, in addition to considerable economic losses.
Last week, the United Nations System (SNU) in Cuba estimated that at least 33.2 million dollars would be necessary to cover basic needs and support the long-term recovery process in the region affected by Hurricane Oscar on the Island.
The funds estimated by the SNU include resources to restore access to basic services such as drinking water and electricity. The hurricane damaged health centers and water and sanitation systems, leaving thousands of people without access to these essential services.
“Recovery efforts should focus on restoring health services, ensuring access to drinking water and providing adequate sanitation facilities to reduce health risks,” says the SNU.
On the other hand, the agricultural sector was one of the most affected, with devastating losses in coffee, cocoa and banana crops. These products, essential for the local economy and the livelihood of thousands of families, were practically destroyed. According to the report, more than 15,000 hectares of farmland were destroyed, raising the possibility of a food crisis in the region and the need for financing to rebuild this critical sector.
“The cost of recovering agricultural production is enormous, and the losses will prolong the food crisis in the region if action is not taken quickly,” the SNU warned.
