Havana, September 30 (RHC-Agencies)-- Cuban authorities have begun distributing food, medicine, mattresses, hygiene supplies and construction equipment it received from numerous countries in the wake of Hurricane Irma, which hit the island Sept. 9.

Countries that donated supplies to Cuba include Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Japan, Spain, Suriname, China, Bolivia, Colombia and several others.

Internal Commerce Minister Odalis Escande thanked these countries in a tweet, saying “we appreciate the solidarity shown from the so many countries that have helped Cuba to recover from the hurricane."

The supplies will go mainly to the 11,700 residents in the hardest-hit provinces of Camaguey, Ciego de Avila, Sancti Spiritus and Villa Clara. These areas were hit with Category 5 rains and winds that sustained 260 km per hour. These provinces are the only areas still without electricity, a Cuban report found.

For the past several weeks, the Cuban government has been providing such supplies to the affected families. A report released Thursday by the Cuban government said that 158,554 homes on the island were affected by the storm, 14,657 of which were destroyed and 16,646 partially destroyed. Roughly 23,560 homes lost their roofs.

The government has provided help in the form of necessary supplies and shelter to nearly two million island residents. Ten people died on the island from the storm.