The international support received by donors is not sufficient to meet all the humanitarian needs of the 2.2 million people affected by the recent passage of the Hurricane Melissa in eastern Cuba, warned the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC).
On October 31, the organization asked the international community for 15 million Swiss francs ($18 million) to assist those affected for two years, but for now it has received only 16.3% of this required amount, while needs grow, a statement from the organization highlighted.
“Our efforts fall short of the magnitude of the needs we find, especially in rural areas and on the coastal strip where Melissa made landfall,” warned the executive president of the Cuban Red Cross, Carlos Pérez Díaz.
The Red Cross seeks to raise 18 million dollars for Cuba after the passage of Melissa
The Red Cross also warns that the loss of more than 150 thousand hectares of crops threatens food security, and the damage to more than 155 thousand homes exposes the population to the dengue, oropouche and chikungunya epidemics declared in the country.
Likewise, electricity outages are limiting the operation of water plants and health services, especially in Santiago de Cuba, where 500,000 people remain without electricity supply, the IFRC note noted.
“Countless families have lost everything: roofs, mattresses, food, animals, essential items to survive with well-being and dignity,” Pérez Díaz described.
The first 20 tons of IFRC aid arrived in Cuba by air on November 2, and have already been distributed entirely by volunteers from the Cuban Red Cross.
