Photo: ACN

Havana, Feb 2 (RHC) After the passage of Hurricane Ian, more than 500,000 inhabitants of Pinar del Río have benefited from the rapid response plan of the United Nations System (UNS) in Cuba. The plan includes sending free food, one of the benefits that aim to promote the recovery of the territory.

According to information provided by the international organization, the support has also included the donation of almost 50 thousand water tanks for homes and schools, more than 10 thousand tarpaulins and tents for temporary solutions, and almost 15 thousand personal mattresses for residents of the westernmost province.

The victims were also provided with kitchen kits, lamps, and rechargeable lanterns.

In response to the damage caused by the meteor, the UNS in Cuba mobilized 14.7 million dollars, of which 7.8 million were approved by the Central Emergency Response Fund, mainly to support food security, housing recovery, sanitation, and the vitality of health services.

We still have a long way to go for greater support and financing in an articulated and coherent framework, said Francisco Pichón, resident coordinator of the United Nations System in Cuba, during a visit to Vueltabajo to verify the implementation of actions and the contribution of the different agencies.

Accompanied by representatives of the UNS in the country and of agencies involved in cooperation, he was interested in the use of the donated resources and the persistent affectation.

In this regard, Niurka Rodríguez Hernández, vice-governor of the province, said that the recovery of housing is now a priority because it is one of the most impacted sectors and in which progress has been made in only 21.2 percent of the cases.

The most important thing is to validate that the provision of materials responds to the real needs of the province, said Pichón.

Darío Álvarez, a representative of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said that resources are never enough, hence the relevance of achieving rapid execution and that it is seen in the field.

Whenever I visit the country, I always admire the progress made in the recovery process, which speaks very well of the Cuban people, its main driving force, she added.

The accompaniment of United Nations System in Cuba will continue to provide support to the families affected by the hurricane, together with the collaboration of different international agencies (Source: ACN). (Source: ACN)