UN Coordinator to Visit Cuban Areas Affected by Hurricane Matthew

The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Cuba, Myrta Kaulard, will visit some of the territories affected by Hurricane Matthew last October.

During her visit, the official will verify the delivery of donations that began to arrive here a few days after the disaster, which left substantial material losses in at least five municipalities in this Cuban province.

Yesterday, Kaulard toured several warehouses where the loads for this province are stored. She also met with several managers and workers, checked the documents and expressed her satisfaction with the work done.

In a brief exchange with the press she emphasized that after this meteorological event it has been demonstrated the great capacity and the preparation of the Cubans to face those disaster situations.

She emphasized that the distribution chain from the province of Santiago de Cuba to the affected municipalities in Guantánamo has worked perfectly, even in those places of difficult access and with very complicated roads in the mountains.

So far the United Nations agency has received eight million dollars in aid for those affected in the provinces of Guantánamo and Holguín.

At least 10 UN agencies dealing in food, housing, health, education and water sectors have donated, and more than half of the money used comes from the Emergency Fund that has that international disaster agency, Kaulard said.

But, the coordinator explained, that efforts are being made to continue to raise funds and mobilize more resources for the population of these territories, since this assistance only satisfies 30 percent of real needs.