Published: 9 September 2008
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has launched an appeal for 6.4 million Swiss francs (5.8 million US dollars or 3.9 million Euro) to support the humanitarian operation of the Cuban Red Cross, which is responding to a very destructive hurricane season.
The funds are urgently needed to allow the Cuban Red Cross to help 8,000 families over the next nine months. Immediate needs include the provision of family kits, kitchen kits, mosquito nets, mattresses, sheet sets, towels and water filters, according to IFRC specialists on the ground.
Hurricane Gustav affected more than 60 per cent of Cuba’s territory, and damage has been sustained across the housing, education, poultry and fishing, electricity and telecommunication services sectors.
To make matters worse Hurricane Ike is currently cutting through Cuba leaving a path of destruction in its wake which, although too early to assess, will undoubtedly complicate the current humanitarian response as well as increase the vulnerability and needs of the affected population.
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement has been coordinating efforts both inside and outside the country since the onset of the emergency. Shelter and disaster specialists have been deployed to Cuba to support the Red Cross as it assesses the initial needs. The IFRC, through its Pan American Disaster Response Unit, has dispatched a cargo plane loaded with emergency supplies for 3,300 families from its base in Panama.
The Cuban Red Cross has faced many hurricanes and has extensive disaster response experience. Their disaster preparedness initiatives are well established and known by all Red Cross volunteers and staff.