Hurricane Matthew - Cuba Situation Report No. 18 Office of the Resident Coordinator (04.11.2016)

Response to Hurricane Matthew: Cuba Situation Report No. 18 Office of
the Resident Coordinator (04.11.2016)

REPORTfrom UN Country Team in Cuba Published on 04 Nov 2016

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Highlights

• There is a preliminary report by the Consejo de Defensa de la
provincia de Guantánamo which evaluates the damages at 1,584 million
Cuban pesos (moneda nacional) caused by the passage of Hurricane Matthew.

• Severe damages have been confirmed in the agricultural sector: 4,142
hectares of grains and vegetables were affected by Hurricane Matthew,
which also devastated banana plantations in the municipalities of
Baracoa, Maisi, Imías and San Antonio del Sur.

• In the municipality of Baracoa, 90% of 6,408 hectares of coconut and
an important portion of the trees providing shade to 3,635 hectares of
cocoa have been destroyed.

• After the ravages brought on by to the passage of Matthew, there has
been frequent and incessant rainfall on the two most affected
Municipalities: there have been 17 days of rain in Baracoa and 14 in
Maisí, which has been aggravating the situation in those territories and
delaying recuperation efforts.

• In Baracoa and Maisí municipalities, 21 per cent of telephone lines
collapsed by the passage of Hurricane Matthew are still pending
reconnection.

• Specialists confirm the depth of damages to the historical heritage in
the city of Baracoa and estimate that the recovery will take several years.

Situation Overview

A month after the passage of Hurricane Matthew in the eastern zones of
Cuba, there is a preliminary report by the Consejo de Defensa de la
provincia de Guantánamo which evaluates the damages at 1,584 million
Cuban pesos (moneda nacional) caused by the passage of Hurricane Matthew
in the eastern parts of Cuba, such as reported by national television.

Local and national authorities continue to prioritize the selling of
construction materials in order to recover the reconstruction of 38,000
damaged houses in the territory, as well as the production of food and
the re-­establishment of electrical services and aqueducts.

Local press agencies are reporting that the transportation of
construction materials such as wood for the laying of tiles is delayed
in reaching affected populations for the persistent rains which are
assailing the areas since over a week.

It remains an urgent priority to restore damaged health infrastructure
(local consultation offices, polyclinics, hospitals, maternal and
eldercare facilities, pharmacies and traditional medication production
plants) whilst intensifying efforts to ensure sanitation to prevent the
outbreak of diseases.

Source: Response to Hurricane Matthew: Cuba Situation Report No. 18
Office of the Resident Coordinator (04.11.2016) - Cuba | ReliefWeb -
http://reliefweb.int/report/cuba/response-hurricane-matthew-cuba-situation-report-no-18-office-resident-coordinator