14ymedio, Havana, 18 October 2022 — On Tuesday, the United States Department of State announced that it will provide humanitarian aid of 2 million dollars to those “in need in Cuba” who were affected by the passage of Hurricane Ian in September.
A statement signed by the institution’s spokesperson, Ned Price, reported that the United States will send the aid through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to “international partners who work directly with Cubans whose communities were devastated by the hurricane.”
“We are currently reviewing requests from organizations such as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to provide this assistance,” the statement details.
The U.S. authorities said that they will continue to “monitor and evaluate the humanitarian needs” of Cubans in coordination with organizations and the international community. “We will continue to look for ways to provide significant support to the people of Cuba, in accordance with U.S. laws and regulations.”
At the beginning of October, it became known that Cuba had sent an urgent request for help to Joe Biden’s Administration, after the crisis caused by Ian, according to an article published in The Wall Street Journal.
At that time, after an exchange of mail between the two governments, Havana had not asked for a specific amount of money, so Washington was still evaluating the extent of the damage, although a formal request had not been received from the Island.
Within a few hours of the article being published in the U.S. newspaper, the Cuban government confirmed that it maintained contact with the United States regarding the material damage suffered by Hurricane Ian.
“The Governments of Cuba and the United States have exchanged information about the amount of damage and the regrettable losses caused by Hurricane Ian in both countries,” the Cuban Foreign Ministry said on the social network Twitter.
Hurricane Ian crossed the western end of Cuba from south to north on September 27, with heavy rains and winds of up to 125 miles per hour, leaving five dead and heavy material damage.
For reasons not fully clarified, the passage of the hurricane generated a complete blackout on the Island, damage to 200,000 homes and a serious impact on crops and infrastructure.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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