CUBAN HURRICANE INFORMATION
This report is based on information provided by the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Cuba.

SITUATION

1. Between 7-9 July, Hurricane Dennis, classified as a category IV event, has devastated some 600 km of territory in Cuba, triggering a serious sea surge, flooding, landslides and heavy rains. The maximum sustained winds reached above 200 km/PH with extreme gusts.

2. According to the UN Resident Coordinator's office in Havana, Hurricane Dennis has caused extensive damage in 11 provinces, affecting some 8 million persons, out of the total population of 11.1 million, rendering this one of the most devastating natural phenomena affecting the country in the last decades.

3. The most affected areas are: Guamà, II and III Frente in Santiago de Cuba province, Pilon, Niquero, Media Luna, Campechuela and Manzanillo in Granma province, Santacruz del Sur, and Vertientes in Camaguey province, Trinidad, Tunas de Zaza y Mèdano in Sancti Spiritus province, Manicaragua in Vila Clara province and all municipalities in Cienfuegos province, Cienaga de Zapata and Jaguey Grande in Matanzas province.

4. According to official figures received from the National Civil Defense, 10 persons have been killed, while 1,535,545 have been evacuated, of which 129,626 were students and 16,873 tourists. Major damages are reported in the housing, agriculture electricity, water supply, telecommunication and transportation sectors.

5. A preliminary assessment of the National Civil Defense indicates that 46,318 houses were damaged. 14,617 houses suffered total destruction, of which 6,327 collapsed and 8,290 with destroyed roofs. Consequently 73,000 persons are left homeless and 158,500 persons are without adequate shelter as the roofs of their homes were completely destroyed.


DAMAGE SUFFERED BY KEY SECTORS

6. Housing

Cienfuegos Province
Total houses affected: 11, 163; Total collapse: 1, 092; Partial collapse: 2, 146

La Habana Province
Total house affected: 4, 165; Total collapse: 73; Partial collapse: 269

Ciudad de la Habana Province
Total houses affected: 334; Total collapse: 0; Partial collapse: 7

Matanzas Province
Total houses affected: 3, 284; Total collapse: 193; Partial collapse: 325

Sancti Spiritus Province
Total houses affected: 1, 777; Total collapse: 278; Partial collapse: 1, 499

Ciego de Avila Province
Total houses affected: 1, 069; Total collapse: 17; Partial collapse: 30

Camaguey Province
Total houses affected: 5, 436; Total collapse: 172; Partial collapse: 512

Santiago de Cuba Province
Total houses affected: 4, 090; Total collapse: 502; Partial collapse: 1, 000

7. Agriculture: In the provinces of Villa Clara and Cienfugos, the mango, papaya, orange and banana as well as the irrigation systems, suffered considerable damage. In Granma Province several thousands hectares of grains, cabbages and corn were destroyed.

8. Water: supplyIn Granma Province 70% of the water supply is contaminated. The provincial authorities have organized an emergency distribution of water.

9. Transportation: The principal road connecting the Provinces of Santiago de Cuba and Granma has been blocked due to a collapsed bridge.

10. Communications: The telephone lines in 28 locations in the provinces of Santiago de Cuba, Granma, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spiritus and Matanzas are interrupted.

NATIONAL RESPONSE

11. The national authorities mobilized 140,000 persons and 4,348 transportation means and public works machinery to face the hurricane's consequences and to assist in evacuation of more than 1.5 million persons.

12. The Government activated 978 food distribution centers and 1,804 emergency shelters, of which 805 in the schools. All houses are currently evaluated in terms of safety for returnees. Priority attention is also required for sanitation requirements. 42 out of 53 major food shops were evacuated and 478,053 animals have been relocated to safe areas.


UN SYSTEM RESPONSE

13. The UN Resident Coordinator's Office and the National Civil Defense Office have established a coordination and information mechanism to facilitate coordination of disaster response activities and information flow.

14. The same office convened several coordination and information meetings with all UN agencies, NGOs, cooperation agencies and foreign embassies.

15. Following the request of the UN Resident Coordinator UN-OCHA has released USD 50,000 for emergency response coordination and purchase of relief items.

16. OCHA remains in close contact with the UN Resident Coordinator's Offices in Cuba and will continue reporting as further information is made available.

17. For tracking and further information, please refer to the Website of the National Hurricane Service in Miami at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov, and http://www.solar.ifa.hawaii.edu/Tropical/Gif/atl.latest.gif

18. This situation report, together with further information on ongoing emergencies, is also available on the OCHA Internet Website at http://www.reliefweb.int

 

The information below is from Stanley L. Falkenstein, Cuban Jewish Connection,
http://www.jewban.org/

You can help us do the work by making an online donation!


DONATE

Friends, the money that doesn't do you that much good here in our world can make a huge difference in Cuba.

For $100 we can deliver three mattresses to people who are sleeping on the floor. We have beautiful hospital mattresses already donated to us, and when they are no longer needed as hurricane relief they will be transferred to local hospitals.

For about $50 we can send two wheel chairs. Imagine what that means to a child or an adult amputee, who right now can't move across the room.

Even one dollar has value in Cuba! Every dollar enables us to ship about $40 worth of medicine.

Please be generous with a little bit of the money that you don't really need- but that will make a huge difference to others-and perhaps even save a life.

You can send your tax deductible donation to: Jewish Cuba Connection, Inc. 4 Lighthouse Street #12, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292.

ITEMS DONATED

100 hospital mattresses will be donated in Madison, Wisconsin by Sharing Resources Worldwide (www.dean.org/health_ed_srw.html) These mattresses will go to people who are sleeping on the floor.

60 wheel chairs have been collected by Working Bikes Cooperative, of Chicago. http://www.workingbikes.org/Although wheel chairs are needed all the time, they are still needed after a major hurricane. These wheel chairs will go to handicapped people in Santiago de Cuba.

14 pallets of disposable medical supplies have been donated by the One World Foundation in North Carolina.(www.one-world-foundation.org) We'll post a complete list of these items as they are inventoried These supplies will also go to Eastern Cuba.

Harvest International of Ocala Florida (www.harvestinternational.org) has promised us a few pallets of emergency medical supplies. Again, we'll post specifics as the items are inventoried.
MONEY DONATED

A wonderful couple from Montpelier Vermont have donated $2,500 to get the first container on its way. These good people have nothing to do with Cuba. One is a retired nurse and simply wants to help people who need help.

Ducky Donot of Burlington Vermont has donated $200.

Supplies and donations will be updated often. We are just getting started!