The region of Baracoa, already devastated by Hurricane Oscar, is now facing the looming threat of heavy rains due to a weather trough. This has resulted in significant delays in the distribution of construction materials, leaving thousands of affected families without protection. Gienny Paján Cobas, President of the Defense Council in Baracoa, acknowledged these setbacks in the availability of essential supplies like roofing tiles and tarps, as reported by the state-run local channel Primada Visión on its Facebook page.
Criticism Over Bureaucratic Inefficiency
During the latest Municipal Defense Council (MDC) meeting, Paján vehemently criticized the sluggishness in the distribution process, emphasizing the challenging circumstances the municipality faces due to relentless rainfall. To date, only 1,801 technical assessments have been completed out of 10,389 housing damages, highlighting the bureaucratic delay in addressing the crisis, as noted by the MDC.
Urgency in Addressing Housing Crisis
The council stressed the immediate need to expedite the preparation of necessary documents to accelerate the response to the housing emergency. While the basic food basket was successfully distributed to 14 hard-to-reach stores, 23 stores remain without rice, and 46 commercial units are still awaiting supplies from the World Food Programme (WFP), indicating a sluggish logistical response, according to the cited source.
Evacuation Efforts and Climate Threats
As of 6:00 pm, a total of 1,818 families, amounting to 7,118 individuals, have been evacuated, with 6,757 of them taking refuge in the homes of relatives. Over the past 10 hours, Baracoa has experienced 18.9 millimeters of rainfall, underscoring the persistent climate threat in the area.
Proactive Measures in Guantánamo and Surrounding Provinces
Following the declaration of the Informative Phase by the National Civil Defense Staff due to the intense rains, the provinces of Guantánamo, Santiago de Cuba, Holguín, Granma, and Las Tunas have initiated measures to avoid repeating the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Oscar. In Guantánamo, the area hardest hit by the hurricane, mass evacuations from San Antonio del Sur to the city of Guantánamo began on Saturday, in anticipation of heavy rains and potential river flooding.
The Civil Defense has warned of the high risk of flooding in the area, as the rains could rapidly raise river levels, similar to the events two weeks ago when Hurricane Oscar resulted in eight fatalities and two missing persons in the region. As of Sunday, reservoirs in Guantánamo province are 47.74% full, with 163,744 cubic hectometers of water, a situation that could change rapidly given the rain forecasts influenced by the trough in the eastern region.