UN reaffirms support for Cuba after Hurricane Melissa’s devastation

Along with Dario Alvarez, an official from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), they emphasized the strength of the national risk management system, led by Civil Defense, as the central pillar of an effective, timely, and profoundly human response.

He noted that even before the hurricane hit the country, the United Nations system activated anticipatory action mechanisms, in close coordination with national authorities, to respond to the hurricane’s potential impacts.

He explained that a System team, comprised of United Nations agencies in the country, along with international partners such as the European Union (EU), was invited by the General Staff of the Cuban Civil Defense (EMNDC) to visit severely affected areas in the Santiago de Cuba and Granma provinces.

During this tour, they witnessed firsthand the scope and effectiveness of the national mobilization before the impact, which allowed for evacuating and protecting more than 735,000 people, with no loss of life reported to date.

The visit included communities heavily affected by Melissa, such as El Cobre, the Cauto River basin, and the Cauto Cristo municipality.

The latter experienced flooding that forced authorities to increase evacuation operations rapidly, activate shelters, and deploy medical and logistical resources.

According to the official, this immediate response impressed the UN representatives, contrasting sharply with the response to human tragedies in other nations, and stands as a testament to the institutional capacity built up over decades in disaster prevention and preparedness. (Source : Prensa Latina)