The First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (CCPCC) and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel, stated this Wednesday in the eastern province of Holguín that the difficult situation created by Hurricane Melissa has been handled well, but “now comes the longest and most complex stage: recovery.”
The President of the National Defense Council arrived this afternoon in the province to assess the damage caused by the cyclone that made landfall in Cuba in the early morning of October 29.
In a busy schedule that began at dawn in Santiago de Cuba, Díaz-Canel was accompanied by Political Bureau member Roberto Morales Ojeda, Secretary of Organization of the CCPCC; several ministers, deputy ministers, and Party and Government authorities in the province.
The Presidential Twitter account reported that the president visited Urbano Noris and Cacocum, the municipalities most affected by the flooding in Holguín province.
At the Guillermón Moncada Polytechnic School in Urbano Noris, where 190 people—mostly children, the elderly, women, and people with disabilities—remain sheltered, the head of state was warmly received and thanked by those who said they felt at home.
The president reiterated to the evacuees and authorities that no one should return to their homes until conditions are safe, and that those who cannot return must receive the necessary care.
In the Estrada community, also in Urbano Noris, where the river rose to unprecedented levels, residents told Díaz-Canel how they managed to save their lives, but many lost their belongings. He assured them that aid was arriving and that no one would be left without assistance.
In Cacocum, the tour included the community of La Agraria, where 176 homes were flooded.
There, the Cuban president learned that an assessment of the damage has been completed, social workers have visited all the affected families, and an office has begun processing applications so that those affected can receive the materials needed to repair their homes.
He indicated that plans for addressing disaster situations like the one experienced in this area, where 20 neighborhoods suffered flooding and seven remain submerged, will be updated.
[ SOURCE: AGENCIA CUBANA DE NOTICIAS ]
