In its passage through the Caribbean Sea, Hurricane Melissa has left more than 30 dead and a trail of destruction of homes, buildings, and agricultural losses in Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic.
The UN coordinator in Cuba, Francisco Pichón, indicated that the criminal blockade unilaterally imposed by the United States on the island complicates obtaining resources to provide aid and humanitarian assistance in the area affected by the hurricane.
“Due to the blockade, Cuba is excluded from international financial institutions and many global markets. This greatly hinders the financing of the disaster response,” he emphasized.
Briefing remotely from the Caribbean, the UN Resident Coordinator for Cuba, Francisco Pichon, reports widespread damage in the wake of #HurricaneMelissa.
“The needs far exceed the country’s capacity to respond to the emergency,” warned the UN official, who emphasized that the impact is concentrated in regions already affected by Hurricane Oscar and two earthquakes last year.
From Havana, Francisco Pichon reported that Hurricane Melissa battered the province of Santiago de Cuba for six hours, leaving severe flooding and damage to homes, crops, and infrastructure.
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), more than 700,000 children and adolescents have been affected in the Caribbean by the torrential rains caused by Hurricane Melissa and the disruptions to basic services such as water, health, and education.
“Hundreds of thousands of children have seen their lives suddenly turned upside down,” said Roberto Benes, UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. “They urgently need food, clean water, health services, sanitation, and a way back to education.”
More than 700,000 children have been affected after Hurricane Melissa swept through the Caribbean.
UNICEF continues to support national authorities and partners in affected countries to quickly identify and address the most urgent needs.
The UN agency has deployed teams to Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic, and has requested $46.5 million to fund its initial response, which aims to assist 380,000 children and their families.
Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane on the night of October 28, before moving north as a Category 3, battering Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic with torrential rains and winds of up to 200 kilometers per hour.
Cuba declares recovery phase after Melissa
Despite the UN’s condemnation, the Cuban government has made progress in the recovery of the regions hit by Melissa.
In this regard, the Cuban National Civil Defense Staff has reported that the provinces of Holguín, Las Tunas, and Guantánamo have been officially declared to be in the recovery phase following Hurricane Melissa.
The decision was made after it was determined that these territories do not present a complex hydrological situation and have the necessary conditions to begin rehabilitation work.
The measure marks the beginning of a new phase focused on assessing the damage and the gradual restoration of affected services and structures. In the aforementioned provinces, work will focus on repairing homes, restoring electrical and communications networks, as well as sanitation in vulnerable areas and providing assistance to the affected population.
IMAGE CREDIT: The UN coordinator in Cuba indicated that the unilateral US blockade of Cuba complicates obtaining resources to provide humanitarian aid in the area affected by the hurricane. Photo: EFE
[ SOURCE: teleSUR ]
