The first of four flights carrying over 94 tons of essential supplies donated by the United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU) for victims of Hurricane Oscar in Guantánamo landed on Sunday at the Antonio Maceo Grajales International Airport in Santiago de Cuba. These "critical supplies" are intended to support national efforts to improve living conditions, health, water, sanitation, and hygiene. The shipment includes medicines, medical supplies, water storage tanks, hygiene kits, chlorine tablets, tarps, mosquito nets, solar lamps, and toolkits, among other items.
This donation is part of an agreement between five UN agencies (the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR; the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO; the World Health Organization, WHO; the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP; and the United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF) and the European Union. The flights were funded by the EU, with logistical support from the UN Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD) managed by the World Food Programme.
Reception of the Aid
At the Santiago de Cuba International Airport, the first shipment of aid was received by the provincial party secretary, Beatriz Johnson Urrutia, and Governor Manuel Falcón Hernández. Isabel Brilhante Pedrosa, EU ambassador to Cuba, was also present.
International Support and Criticism
In late October, the UN announced plans to mobilize $33 million to alleviate the damage caused by Hurricane Oscar in Guantánamo. According to official figures, the hurricane resulted in eight fatalities and caused severe damage to homes, infrastructure, and agricultural fields in eastern Cuba due to flooding. Residents from the hardest-hit areas have criticized the province's Civil Defense system for failing to provide timely warnings or evacuate residents from low-lying areas, especially during a nationwide blackout that left the country without electricity for more than four days.
Both Cubans living on and off the island, independent organizations, religious institutions, international agencies, and governments from various countries have sent donations to assist the affected population in Guantánamo.
Future Aid and Previous Contributions
The UN and EU have also announced plans to allocate resources to respond to the devastating Hurricane Rafael in the western part of the country. In August, the EU donated 500,000 euros to address urgent health needs for children, adolescents, and women of reproductive age in Holguín, Havana, and Sancti Spíritus.