Two people from San Antonio del Sur are still missing: Kaliannis Hernández Urgelléz, 35, and Orlenis Gamboa Pérez, 42
14ymedio, Havana, 31 October 2024 — The United Nations System in Cuba will dedicate 33,235,167 dollars to assist the half million victims of Hurricane Oscar in Guantánamo. The emergency recovery plan, for which six million dollars has already been allocated, focuses on water availability and hygiene, shelters and housing, education, logistics, health and food security. According to the agency, immediate aid will be given for six months, and other restoration projects could extend up to 18 months.
In its report, prepared with data offered by the Cuban authorities despite their usual lack of transparency, the UN agency revealed that in the province, some 478,599 people were affected, of which 149,964 are critically impacted. More than half were left homeless. Some 14,300 homes and service facilities were damaged, as were 56 health centers, 349 schools and 15,000 hectares (37,066 acres) of land.
They also confirmed the death of eight people– seven in San Antonio del Sur and one in Imías – and on Thursday reported that the search for two missing people continues: Kaliannis Hernández Urgelléz, 35, and Orlenis Gamboa Pérez, 42, both from San Antonio del Sur.
The damage is considerable and will take, at the usual pace of the Government, years to recover from
The damage is considerable and will take, at the usual pace of the Government, years to recover from, but the authorities insist on presenting a climate of tranquility and demonstrating “the traces of recovery,” as the Presidency’s profile on X called the work of the Civil Defense.
In principle, the authorities have guaranteed food for the victims with products that are not very nutritious or healthy, such as condensed milk and soft drinks. In an article published this Thursday, the hot dog factory of Sancti Spíritus told Escambray that it has produced five tons of that product to send to Guantánamo.
“It’s about supporting the most vulnerable families in the affected areas, so the plant workers, in just two days, made that amount of packaged hot dogs, while in the Roberto Quesada packaging company, four tons of sausages were manufactured for them,” applauds Escambray.
Miguel Díaz-Canel visited Imías on Wednesday, repeating slogans and proposing the usual voluntarism*. The images disseminated by the official press are eloquent: schools in which classes are now taught, unharmed fields, factories in operation, bridges under repair. None of the places they visited are totally collapsed, and do not include centers that are closed or without service.
Surrounded by soldiers, in addition to his bodyguard, Díaz-Canel immersed himself in the crowd
The authorities also showed the president full warehouses, sawmills preparing wood for the reconstruction of homes and ration stores distributing the ’basic basket’. He responded by asking them to speed up the reconstruction of housing, so that people can be taken care of and “lost household goods” provided, all vague provisions. Only one specific fact was offered by the official newspaper Granma in its description of the presidential tour: 10,000 mattresses will be given to the affected families.
Surrounded by soldiers, in addition to his bodyguard, Díaz-Canel immersed himself in the crowd and reminded the people that “there are still many things to do.” “In Imías, the water service has begun to stabilize; there is electricity in 97% of the municipality, and we are going to move forward. I know that it has been hard, that many have lost property, but it is demonstrated once again that the Revolution does not leave anyone on their own,” said the president, who recognized, however, that “what will take the most time will be the recovery of homes.”
“We are moving forward on all fronts, including the people in the recovery process, to have a better Guantánamo, a more beautiful Guantánamo,” added Díaz-Canel, who promised that the order given to “all institutions” is to “make things better in the recovery than they were before.”
Translated by Regina Anavy
*Translator’s note: The principle of relying on voluntary action (used especially with reference to the involvement of voluntary organizations in social welfare) – Oxford Dictionary
____________
COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
