Cuba thanks the United States for providing two million euros in aid for hurricane «Ian».
The Government of Cuba has thanked the United States on Tuesday for the humanitarian aid offered to the Latin American country to alleviate the consequences of the passage of Hurricane Ian through the island, which caused the displacement of more than 50,000 people in the west and center of the country.
Father and son next to the Cuban flag -
The Government of Cuba has thanked the United States on Tuesday for the humanitarian aid offered to the Latin American country to alleviate the consequences of the passage of Hurricane Ian through the island, which caused the displacement of more than 50,000 people in the west and center of the country.
Father and son next to the Cuban flag -
"We are grateful for the offer of humanitarian aid from the United States. The material contribution valued at two million dollars (a similar figure in euros) via the International Federation of the Red Cross will contribute to our recovery efforts and support for those affected by the ravages of Hurricane Ian," Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez said in a message on Twitt
The Red Cross, an organization to which Cuba belongs, has channeled the humanitarian aid offered by the U.S. State Department to help Cubans affected by the meteorological phenomenon, according to the newspaper 'Granma'.
This contribution will contribute to the recovery and reconstruction efforts being carried out by Cuban authorities of the affected houses, which could exceed 100,000 homes.
In addition to the United States, the European Union has also offered aid worth one million euros to EU humanitarian partners present in the area to provide temporary emergency shelter, water and sanitary services.
Hurricane Ian claimed the lives of at least two people in the western Cuban province of Pinar del Rio and displaced more than 50,000 people in the west and center of the island.
Related video: All of Cuba without power after Hurricane Ian
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The Red Cross, an organization to which Cuba belongs, has channeled the humanitarian aid offered by the U.S. State Department to help Cubans affected by the meteorological phenomenon, according to the newspaper 'Granma'.
This contribution will contribute to the recovery and reconstruction efforts being carried out by Cuban authorities of the affected houses, which could exceed 100,000 homes.
In addition to the United States, the European Union has also offered aid worth one million euros to EU humanitarian partners present in the area to provide temporary emergency shelter, water and sanitary services.
Hurricane Ian claimed the lives of at least two people in the western Cuban province of Pinar del Rio and displaced more than 50,000 people in the west and center of the island.
US will give $2m to Cuba in emergency relief funding for Hurricane Ian victims
$482M FOR WAR IN UKRAINE THIS WEEK
Julian Borger in Washington - THE GUARDIAN
The US will provide $2m in emergency relief funding for victims of Hurricane Ian in Cuba, in response to a call for help from the government in Havana, marking a rare example of cooperation between the two countries in recent years.
Photograph: Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Images© Provided by The Guardian
Ned Price, the state department spokesman, made it clear that the relief assistance would not go through the Cuban government but Washington would instead work with independent organizations like the Red Cross and Red Crescent.
Related: ‘We’re natural fighters’: Cubans brave sweeping power cuts in Hurricane Ian aftermath
“We stand with the Cuban people as they work to recover from this disaster,” Price said.
Related video: Recovery efforts in Cuba after Hurricane IanDuration 0:46
The Cuban request for assistance and the positive US response marks a breakthrough in relations between Washington and Havana since the low point of the Trump administration.
In the past, when the US has offered humanitarian aid after a bad hurricane, Cuba has turned it down, but the government can no longer rely on Russia to contribute in Washington’s place – another sign of the negative impact the invasion of Ukraine has had on Russian influence around the world.
Hurricane Ian struck Cuba’s Pinar del Río province on the west side of the island, killing at least two people and flooding the tobacco fields, but it also smashed parts of the electricity grid, causing nationwide blackouts. Persistent power cuts have triggered scattered protests in the aftermath of the hurricane.
Much of the US aid is expected to go to humanitarian infrastructure such as hospitals and water pumping systems.
Donald Trump reversed a significant improvement in US-Cuban relations achieved under the Obama administration and, in the last days of his presidency, declared Havana to be a state sponsor of terrorism.
Joe Biden has signalled incremental steps to ease the sanctions imposed by Trump, saying his administration would remove the cap on dollar remittances Americans are allowed to send to Cuba and reopen limited air travel to the island, but he has sanctions introduced by his predecessor in place and not removed Havana from the terrorism watch list.
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