Local volunteers and new energy sources power the Cuban Red Cross’s response to Hurricane Melissa six months after the storm 

The Cuban Red Cross brings water, healthcare, and support to communities affected by Hurricane Melissa

The IFRC warns of growing psychological toll on children and families one month after Hurricane Melissa

Kingston/Panama/Geneva. 28 November 2025 - One month after Hurricane Melissa, people continue to report significant psychological impacts, including high levels of stress, anxiety, persistent fear, sleep disturbances, and grief linked to the loss of homes, livelihoods, and loved ones. Thousands across the affected regions are seeking psychosocial support, with demand increasing as families confront the long-term emotional toll of the disaster, reports the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).In Jamaica, children are showing a wide range of emotional reactions, including fear of the dark and heightened sensitivity to rain or wind. Some have become unusually quiet or irritable, while others are more clingy, fearful of separation, or noticeably hyperactive as they try to cope with the ongoing sense of insecurity.“While physical wounds may heal and houses can be rebuilt with time, emotional wounds can linger long after the crisis is over. Mental health and psychosocial support programs are among the least expensive interventions in humanitarian response, yet their impact is priceless,” said Dorothy Francis, Head of Operations at the IFRC in Jamaica. “It is critical to ensure the resources needed not only for psychological first aid, but also for psychoeducation, child-friendly activities, and group sessions tailored to community needs.”The IFRC has launched an emergency appeal for 19 million Swiss francs (approximately USD 23 million) to support 180,000 people affected by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica, and an additional appeal for 15 million Swiss francs (USD 18 million) to assist the Cuban Red Cross in supporting 100,000 people. This funding will strengthen MHPSS interventions across all response activities, ensuring that communities receive practical, emotional, and psychological support throughout the recovery process.Red Cross volunteers and specialists are providing essential mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) to adults and children affected by the hurricane. This includes psychological first aid, community-based support sessions, child-friendly activities, and referrals to specialized care when needed.Activities such as games, drawing, storytelling, music, movement, and breathing exercises support emotional expression and stress reduction. For those more deeply affected, focused group sessions offer grounding techniques, relaxation exercises, psychoeducation on common stress reactions, and safe spaces to share coping strategies and regain a sense of control. Parents also receive guidance to understand their children’s emotional needs and support healthy coping. Across all these actions, the goal is to restore safety, a sense of normalcy, and meaningful connection within the community.In Cuba, Red Cross teams are also distributing mosquito kits — an intervention that goes beyond disease prevention. By protecting families from mosquito bites and creating a safer sleeping environment, the kits help improve sleep hygiene, which is essential for emotional well-being and recovery after a traumatic event.Julio Martinez, Head of Psychosocial Support for the Cuban Red Cross, has been leading sessions with children in the community of El Aguacate. He describes how simple activities such as coloring help children express their emotions and begin to heal. “The colors reflect what the child feels in that moment. Children express themselves openly and clearly, and their drawings often reveal what is happening within the family,” he said.MHPSS is also central to building back stronger. “After the storm, people face difficult decisions— how to rebuild, return to work, and support their children,” Martinez added. “Resilience becomes essential, and psychosocial support is key to helping communities recover and rebuild that strength. No one emerges untouched; everyone is psychologically affected, so mental health cannot be overlooked.”In Cuba, Yaricel Martínez González experienced the effects of Hurricane Melissa firsthand. Before the storm, she was part of a community of fisherfolk.“To see everything we had achieved through years of effort and sacrifice collapse in just a few hours was deeply devastating for us,” mentions Yaricel. “My own mother would start crying every day at two in the morning, and I felt a knot in my throat, as if I couldn’t breathe. When something so drastic happens, you think you’ll never sleep again, never recover. But we are living proof that the techniques provided by the Red Cross do help. They taught us ways to breathe better, relieve stress, and sleep more peacefully. Even the children benefited, using drawings to express the sadness they felt from Melissa’s passing.”Note to editors:Visuals: Additional photos and video available here.For more information or to request an interview, please contact: [email protected] Panama:Maria Victoria Langman, +507 6550-1090Susana Arroyo Barrantes, +507 6999-3199In Geneva:Tommaso Della Longa, +41 79 708 4367 Nora Peter, +36 70 953 7709 

Limited international support compromises recovery of population affected by Hurricane Melissa in Cuba

Santiago de Cuba/Panama/Geneva, 21 November 2025 - The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has warned that the humanitarian needs of the population affected by Hurricane Melissa in eastern Cuba are growing faster than the international support required to provide short- and medium-term humanitarian assistance.Three weeks after Melissa made landfall in Cuba, data from the Civil Defence and the United Nations System indicate that more than 2.2 million people were affected, mainly in the provinces of Santiago de Cuba, Granma and Holguín. In addition, the loss of more than 150,000 hectares of crops threatens food security, and damage to more than 155,000 homes exposes the population to the dengue, oropouche and chikungunya epidemics declared in the country. In addition, power cuts are limiting the operation of water plants and health services, especially in Santiago de Cuba, where 500,000 people still have no access to electricity."Countless families have lost everything: roofs, mattresses, food, animals, items that are essential for survival with well-being and dignity," said Carlos Pérez Díaz, executive president of the Cuban Red Cross. "From the very first minute, Cuban Red Cross teams have been travelling through the areas most affected by Melissa, distributing aid and offering psychosocial support, but our efforts fall short given the magnitude of the needs we encounter, especially in rural areas and in the coastal area where Melissa made landfall."The first 20 tonnes of aid from the IFRC, which arrived in Cuba by air on 2 November, have already been distributed in full by Cuban Red Cross volunteers. This shipment included kitchen, hygiene and rest kits, blankets, mosquito nets, solar lamps, plastic sheeting and tool kits. These items were delivered to families whose homes were destroyed, elderly people living alone, people with disabilities, and pregnant women or women with children or dependents in their care. "The pre-positioning of humanitarian supplies at our logistics hub in Panama allowed us to dispatch vital aid within the first 72 hours after Hurricane Melissa struck, and the organisational and coordination capacity of the Cuban Red Cross enabled us to distribute it in record time," said Cristian Torres Bermeo, IFRC Deputy Director for the Americas. "We have the experience, operational capacity and local presence necessary to reach the areas most in need, but we require more financial support to reach the thousands of families who still require urgent assistance and, as soon as conditions allow, to move on to the early recovery phase."On 31 October, the IFRC launched an emergency appeal requesting 15 million Swiss francs (18 million USD) to provide two years of emergency assistance, early recovery and long-term resilience support to 100,000 people. Contributions received by the organisation amount to only 16.3% of the required amount, while needs on the island continue to rise.The IFRC's international appeal will remain open for the next 24 months. Governments, businesses, foundations and even individuals can contribute resources that will enable communities to rebuild their homes, protect themselves from mosquito-borne diseases, take care of their mental health, resume productive activities, rely on solar energy to cope with power cuts and prepare for the next hurricane season.The IFRC has a strong track record in implementing humanitarian operations in Cuba. Working hand in hand with the Cuban Red Cross – and its network of more than 35,000 volunteers – and in coordination with public authorities and national and international humanitarian actors, it has responded to dozens of hurricanes and storms, including Ian, Oscar, Rafael, Matthew, Irma and Sandy, always guided by its fundamental principles and with interventions based on needs assessments and dialogue with the affected communities. For further information or interviews, please write to [email protected] or contact In Santiago de CubaSusana Arroyo Barrantes, +507 69993199In PanamaMaría Victoria Langman, +507 65501090In GenevaNora Peter +36 70 953 7709

Climate of storms: New Red Vest podcast episode explores link between a warming world and a recent string of super storms

15 days of action: Well before Hurricane Melissa struck, the Red Cross was on full alert, helping people get ready. Now, they’re at the heart of the response

For the people who lived through Hurricane Melissa, it was a storm like no other they had ever experienced.Melissa made landfall in southwestern Jamaica on 28 October as a Category 5 hurricane, with winds exceeding 160 mph, making it the most severe storm to hit the island in known history. Then, itmoved eastward towards Cuba, where it struck twelve hours later as a Category 3 hurricane.Fortunately, the severity of the hurricane was not entirely unexpected. Thanks to forecasts, the Red Cross network in the region had already begun preparing for the storm. A week before landfall, when the first weather forecasts showed the formation of Hurricane Melissa and its possible paths in the central Caribbean, the Red Cross was already active, coordinating with local groups and agencies, warning the communities and helping them prepare, and placing critical supplies in places where they were likely to be needed most. Local Red Cross teams in Cuba, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Haiti, activated their contingency plans and began preparing communities for what would become one of the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic. The damage in Jamaica was devastating. The government estimates that losses amount to around 30 percent of the national GDP. Flooding destroyed roads and damaged crops, leaving more than 70 percent of the population without electricity. Around 7,200 people sought shelter in the 881shelters that were opened across the country, eight of which are still being managed by the Jamaican Red Cross.“It was very traumatic. I lost my storeroom, my shed down there, and the water in the gully was rising. When I peeped through the window and saw the kind of breeze along with the rain, it was very traumatic,” says Mr. Lawrence, Doctor, former Emergency Chair for the Red Cross St Elizabeth branch. “As you can see, all my fruit trees have died. The fish that I feed every morning they turned over, they all swam away.”In Cuba, winds of up to 195 km/h and heavy rainfall caused rivers to overflow and triggered landslides, interrupting basic services. It is estimated that 2.2 million people have been severely affected.“We were not able to arrive to Santiago because the road is blocked by what is full of water,” said Nicolás Segura, IFRC’s Disaster Response Coordinator for the Latin Caribbean.“We were able to see a lot of damage, a lot of devastation, a lot of dead animals on the road and also a couple of road accidents and people trying to get to their houses, trying to recover everything.”Anticipatory action saves livesIn Jamaica, the Red Cross launched preventive measures in eight high-risk parishes, supported by the IFRC’s Disaster Response Emergency Fund (IFRC-DREF). Volunteers visited at-risk communities to disseminate early warning messages, prepared shelters and distributed essential items.. Thanks to these measures, more than 300 people and five institutions received essential non-food items and preparedness support well before the storm made landfall.Meanwhile, the Cuban Red Cross activated its contingency plan for hydrometeorological events, deploying staff and volunteers to vulnerable areas. They reinforced community communications, checked evacuation centres and pre-positioned humanitarian aid kits and rescue equipment in provinces such as Granma, Santiago de Cuba and Holguín. This advance preparation meant that, when Melissa finally made landfall, both National Societies were ready to respond immediately without wasting any critical time. From day one, teams on both islands have been working tirelessly. The Jamaica Red Cross mobilised 400 volunteers and immediately distributed 750 blankets, 250 cleaning kits, 250 hygiene kits, 250 shelter tool kits and 500 tarpaulins. In Cuba, specialised brigades have supported evacuations, rescued over 500 people, and provided psychosocial support to families in crisis.International appeals for recovery supportThe scale of the disaster has prompted the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to launch two emergency appeals to strengthen operations in both countries. The emergency appeal in Jamaica aims to raise 19 million Swiss francs (US$23 million) to assist 180,000 people over the next two years. The operation will provide shelter, livelihoods, and cashassistance, helping families rebuild safely and recover with dignity.Special attention will be given to single mothers, families with young children or older adults, and people with disabilities. All interventions will be guided by protection, gender inclusion and community engagement and accountability, ensuring that assistance is fair and transparent, and helping communities prepare for future climate crises. In Cuba, the emergency appeal aims to raise CHF 15 million (USD 18 million) to support 100,000 people in the worst-affected provinces. The operation combines emergency relief, early recovery, and long-term resilience, helping families rebuild homes, restore safe water, and recover their health and livelihoods.This two-year appeal invests in climate-resilient reconstruction. Families will receive roofing kits, tools, and training in safe, sustainable building techniques, along with solar-powered water systems to secure clean water even when power fails. The goal: help communities recover today and then have what they need to resist tomorrow’s storms.Active global networkIn the seven days following the storm, the Red Cross's global network delivered over 180 tonnes of humanitarian supplies to the Caribbean. These included shelter kits, cleaning kits, kitchen sets, hygiene kits, jerry cans, buckets and blankets. On Sunday, 2 November, an IFRC charter flight landed in Santiago de Cuba with the first 20 tons of humanitarian aid for those affected by Hurricane Melissa. 'We are in the warehouses where we have our 20-tonne load of humanitarian aid that arrived recently. Our objective is to check it and establish distribution guidelines', said Luis Enrique Calderón Rodríguez on 4 November. He is the Head of Operations and Rescue at the Cuban Red Cross. 'We have already verified that the loads are ready and that we can begin delivering to families today.'This shipmentenables the Cuban Red Cross to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to 1,500 people in the most affected areas, including kitchen kits, hygiene kits, bedding, blankets, mosquito nets, solar lamps, shelter tool kits and plastic sheeting.In Jamaica, 160 tons of Red Cross humanitarian aid arrived in the seven days following Melissa's landfall. Shipments reinforce local distribution, enabling thousands of families to receive hygiene, cleaning, and cooking items in the early days of the emergency. These actions were made possible by international solidarity. The Canadian Red Cross, the French Red Cross's Regional Intervention Platform of the Americas-Caribbean (PIRAC) and the IFRC's Regional Logistics Centre in Panama coordinated the shipment of supplies by air and sea to ensure aid reached those most in need quickly. Volunteers from the Cuban and Jamaican Red Cross Societies, meanwhile, are still extremely busy throughout the region, carrying out damage and needs assessments, distributing emergency supplies, cleaning up and providing emotional support.Helping people cope with shock and lossNot all the support being provided comes in the form of physical goods or supplies.There is a strong and widespread need for psychosocial support in the worst-affected communities, including among Red Cross members. Volunteers and staff have been working tirelessly for days. Some volunteers have seen their homes completely destroyed.“We recognise that there is a very real and strong need for health services, medical care, and psychosocial support,” said Ruth Howard to BBC on October 31, Howard is the Deputy Public Relations Chair for the Jamaica Red Cross. “The psychosocial support is essential, because this has been one of the most traumatic events that many of our people have ever experienced in their lives,” she continued.Yet they continue to support those most in need, demonstrating that Red Cross help begins in communities. Every kit delivered, every safe evacuation and every hug of support is made possible by these dedicated volunteers. Hurricane Melissa reminded us once again that preparedness saves lives. The anticipatory actions implemented before the storm made landfall proved their effectiveness, making the difference between total devastation and resilience. Over the next months, the IFRC and the National Societies of Jamaica and Cuba will continue to collaborate to bolster community resilience in the face of future climate events.

20 tons of IFRC humanitarian aid arrive in Santiago de Cuba following Hurricane Melissa 

Geneva/La Habana/Panama City, 2 November 2025 – A charter flight from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) landed in Santiago de Cuba on Sunday, 2 November, carrying the first 20 tons of humanitarian aid for people affected by Hurricane Melissa.The shipment, capable of providing urgent humanitarian assistance to 1,500 people, arrived at 3:00 p.m. local time from Tocumen International Airport in Panama City. The cargo includes kitchen, hygiene, and bedding kits, blankets, mosquito nets, solar lamps, shelter tools kits, and plastic sheeting, which the Cuban Red Cross will distribute in the hardest hit areas.The hygiene kits contain essential items such as soap, toothbrushes, shampoo, menstrual hygiene products, towels, and toilet paper, all designed to help families maintain their health and personal care after the storm. Together with the mosquito nets, these supplies are crucial to prevent disease in areas where access to water and sanitation services has been disrupted.The bedding kits include items such as sheets and pillows, helping families who lost their homes rest more comfortably in temporary shelters. Complementing these efforts, the shelter tools will support the cleaning and reconstruction tasks, and the kitchen kits will provide cooking and serving utensils for five people. Together, these kits support daily life, health, and recovery.“While the Cuban Red Cross continues to support rescue efforts, damage assessments, and psychosocial assistance, the IFRC has activated all its international support mechanisms to mobilize aid in record time,” said Marianna Kuttothara, IFRC Head of Health, Disasters and Crises for the Americas. “Just three days after Hurricane Melissa, humanitarian supplies were ready for dispatch and will now be distributed with humanity and commitment to those most in need.”This rapid delivery of aid was made possible thanks to the IFRC’s prepositioned humanitarian stock at its Humanitarian Hub in Panama, where the organization stores enough relief items to assist 20,000 people within 48 to 72 hours after a disaster.These first 20 tons of relief are part of the IFRC’s broader effort to ensure a fast, high-quality humanitarian response. They complement the recently launched Emergency Appeal for 15 million Swiss francs (approximately USD 18 million), aimed at supporting 100,000 people in Cuba over the next two years.This humanitarian operation combines immediate response efforts—such as the distribution of essential items and search and rescue operations—with early recovery and long-term resilience, helping families rebuild their homes, restore access to safe water, and recover their health and livelihoods.Pictures of the cargo available here: https://shared.ifrc.org/collections/~df43f74ef9For more information, please contact: [email protected] In Panama: Susana Arroyo Barrantes, +507 6999-3199   María Victoria Langman, +507 6550-1090 In Geneva: Tommaso Della Longa, +41 79 708 4367Nora Peter, +36 70 953 7709

Cuba: IFRC launches emergency appeal to assist 100,000 people affected by Hurricane Melissa while arbovirus outbreak risk rises

Geneva/Panama City/Havana, 31 October 2025 – The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has launched an emergency appeal for 15 million Swiss francs (USD 18 million) to support the Cuban Red Cross in assisting 100,000 people affected by Hurricane Melissa and the ongoing arbovirus outbreak in the country.The IFRC Emergency Appeal for Cuba will run for two years, focusing on lifesaving assistance, early recovery, and long-term resilience in the wake of Hurricane Melissa. Ranked among the three strongest hurricanes in Cuba’s meteorological history, Melissa made landfall in southeastern Cuba on 28 October, impacting communities across eight eastern provinces and compounding an existing public health emergency linked to the country’s arbovirus outbreak.“Our volunteers have been on the front lines since before the storm, helping with preventive evacuations, public awareness campaigns, and psychosocial support. They have rescued people trapped by rising rivers and continue to provide lifesaving assistance to those who have lost everything,” said Carlos Pérez Díaz, Executive President of the Cuban Red Cross. “Now, we will focus on delivering vital relief items while ensuring access to health care and psychosocial support.”“This emergency appeal is essential to raise the funds needed to help the Cuban people,” said Jagan Chapagain, IFRC Secretary General. “Hurricane Melissa has left immense devastation in its wake. It will take months, perhaps years, for people to rebuild their lives.”Before the storm hit, the Cuban Red Cross pre-positioned and dispatched 1,000 family relief kits from Havana to secure warehouses in the eastern provinces, ensuring aid would be close to communities likely to be affected. These kits, containing essential household items such as hygiene supplies, blankets, and kitchen sets, are now ready for rapid distribution to evacuated families in shelters and affected households as soon as conditions allow.The IFRC Emergency Appeal will support 100,000 people through a response that combines emergency relief and early recovery. Families whose homes were damaged or destroyed will receive shelter toolkits, mattresses, blankets, kitchen sets, and solar lamps to enhance living conditions.Preventing and reducing disease transmission associated with hurricane damage and the concurrent arbovirus outbreak will also be a priority. In the aftermath of the storm, cases of Dengue, Oropouche, and Chikungunya are likely to rise. The Red Cross will work closely with the Ministry of Public Health to strengthen surveillance, ensure safe water and sanitation, and restore essential health services through mobile and auxiliary units.Environmental health measures — such as waste removal, cleaning of water systems, and vector-control campaigns — will help reduce secondary impacts and protect communities.The IFRC appeal will also prioritize household water treatment and hygiene promotion, the distribution of water-treatment kits and hygiene supplies, and the rehabilitation of community water systems. The installation of solar-powered or gravity-fed water pumps will help guarantee continuous access to safe water in areas where electricity remains unreliable. As conditions allow, the operation will transition to recovery and climate-resilient reconstruction, supporting the repair and rebuilding of homes with roofing kits, tools, and training on safe and sustainable construction techniques. Hurricane Melissa has struck communities still recovering from Hurricane Oscar, which severely affected eastern Cuba in October 2024. Homes and infrastructure were still under repair when this new disaster struck, leaving families with little time to recover.“For decades, the IFRC has worked hand in hand with the Cuban Red Cross and its strong network of highly trained volunteers, responding effectively to hurricanes like Ian, Sandy, and Oscar — and now Melissa — each time standing side by side with communities to protect lives and livelihoods,” said Loyce Pace, IFRC Regional Director for the Americas. “Our appeal builds on that shared experience — a partnership grounded in trust, humanity, and the determination to help where it’s needed most.”For more information or to request an interview, please contact: [email protected] In Panama:Susana Arroyo Barrantes, +507 6999-3199   María Victoria Langman, +507 6550-1090 In Geneva:Tommaso Della Longa, +41 79 708 4367Nora Peter, +36 70 953 7709

Cuba: Hurricane Melissa

Cuba: Hurricane Melissa

Hurricane Melissa, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the Caribbean, has devastated eastern Cuba with torrential rains, massive flooding and winds up to 295 km/h. Homes have collapsed, communities are isolated, and hundreds of thousands have lost access to safe water and electricity. Meanwhile, an ongoing arbovirus outbreak worsens health risks. The Cuban Red Cross is providing emergency shelter, safe water, health and psychosocial support, while also working to prevent the spread of infectious diseases spread. Urgent help is needed to reach more families. Donate now to help the Cuban Red Cross provide life-saving assistance.

Ahead of Hurricane Melissa's imminent arrival in the Caribbean, local Red Cross teams are mobilising

Torrential rain and intense winds from Hurricane Melissa threaten hundreds of thousands of people in the central Caribbean. The National Red Cross Societies in Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic are fully operational, providing support to the communities most at risk in the form of preparedness and early response measures.In Cuba, the Cuban Red Cross is helping with preventive evacuations, offering psychosocial support, and helping families to get back in touch with each other.Psychological support in the face of a hurricane threat is essential for effective disaster management. It helps the population move from paralyzing fear to active preparedness and a resilient mindset, saving lives and promoting better long-term psychological recovery by providing a sense of calm, control, and human connection.'All hands on deck'In Haiti, the Haitian Red Cross has activated the Jérémie Emergency Operations Centre and is coordinating preparedness measures with local authorities. Volunteers are disseminating preventive messages to inform families how to protect themselves in the event of an impact.In Jamaica, where more than 165,000 people are at risk, the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (IFRC-DREF) has allocated 80,000 Swiss francs for anticipatory action, including pre-positioning vital supplies, preparing shelters, and strengthening community response capacity.“Right now, we are in full operations mode," says Horace Glance, deputy operations manager for the Jamaican Red Cross. "All 13 branches and all staff have been activated since last Wednesday. It’s all-hands-on-deck, all systems go.”“If the forecast holds true, and we do have a category 4 hurricane bearing down on us, it’s going to be a huge event for Jamaica,” Glance said in an interview with ABC News (see the full video below) on Sunday 26. “We’ve never had such a major hurricane coming across the island, making landfall and its eye passing over us.“So the usual things such as landslides, as well as coastal, riveraine and urban flooding, would be expected but it’s going to be a lot more with an event this size in terms of the volume of water ... as well as more severe winds than we’ve ever experienced.”In the Dominican Republic, volunteers from the San Pedro branch have carried out rescues and preventive evacuations in flood-affected communities, as well as helping to transfer patients from the local hospital to safer medical centres. Preparation and early action are crucial in a region that is highly vulnerable to the effects of storms and hurricanes. The rapid intensification of these phenomena, exacerbated by climate change, reduces reaction time and increases the risk of human and material losses. While climate change and climate-related disasters and hazards can affect anyone, their effects are not felt equally by all. In North America, Central America and the Caribbean, it is the most vulnerable groups — women, children, displaced people, indigenous communities and those affected by violence, poverty and discrimination — who are at the greatest risk from hurricanes and storms. This is why the IFRC and its network of National Societies work to take action before disasters strike, combining weather forecasts with risk analysis, strengthening early warning systems and positioning humanitarian aid in strategic locations. In response to the 2025 hurricane season and beyond, the Red Cross network is continuing to strengthen community resilience in over 28 countries by integrating science, local knowledge, and solidarity to protect communities from the growing risks posed by climate change.

From beaches to streets: 16,000 Cuban Red Cross volunteers save lives with first aid and rescue

The island of Cuba has a long history of prevention work in the face of emergencies such as earthquakes and the increasing number of severe tropical storms like Hurrican Ian in September 2022, or Oscar, in October 2024. The Cuban Red Cross lifeguard programme was established in 1959, when the first lifeguard schools were set up in Guanabo and Varadero to prevent drowning accidents. “Our specialists are trained in victim care, so they can save a person's life within the first ten minutes,” explains Luis Enrique Calderón Rodríguez, Operations and Relief Coordinator for the Cuban Red Cross. “All of these individuals must complete a specialized first aid course so that they can respond to disasters, floods and water-related incidents, and provide adequate care to potential victims throughout the country,” adds Calderón.Around 16,000 of the Cuban Red Cross's 39,000 volunteers are dedicated to rescue and salvage work and one of their main tasks is to prevent drownings on beaches, where every year thousands of local visitors and tourists enjoy the sea in their free time. A girl who saves livesChildren also play an active role in prevention. Many of today's rescuers started volunteering at a young age. One of the volunteers off to an early start is Angelina González who is a passionate advocate of first aid in Varadero. She has been an active member of the Cuban Red Cross Interest Group at Martín Klein Schiller Elementary School for the past three years. At 11 years old, Angelina has mastered the technique of abdominal compressions, also known as the Heimlich maneuver, and knows how to transport an injured person on a stretcher. She also knows how to protect herself during earthquakes or thunderstorms. “This knowledge has helped us inform family members and friends who don't know about first aid,” says Angelina. Simple actions such as knowing emergency numbers, providing the exact address and waiting for the operator to end the call are among the things that the children practice in the interest group. “In case of drowning at the beach, we must pay attention to safety measures such as flags,"Angelina explains. “The red flag indicates that swimming is absolutely prohibited, as it can be dangerous. The yellow flag means that you can swim, but with caution, as beach conditions could suddenly deteriorate. The green flag means that you can swim freely, as the sea will be calm.”Life-saving skills for the whole communityFirst aid training in Cuba is not only intended for Red Cross volunteers but also aims to provide everyone in the community with the skills to protect themselves and assist others when needed. One of the most powerful tools is reliable information. This educational network comprises newsletters, the dissemination of materials via WhatsApp, talks in children's circles, workshops in local institutions, and practical advice to families, schools and tourism companies. “With the support of Radio Varadero, informative and preventive messages are broadcast daily on radio magazines such as Sonido Azul,” says Yania Pérez Ballesté, the teacher who leads the interest group. “This is especially important in the summer months, when tourism increases, as does the risk of accidents on beaches and at recreation centres” she adds. Local authorities recognize the Cuban Red Cross as a key ally. “Even the president of the People's Power Council here in Varadero jokingly says that the Red Cross is her advisor because she consults with us whenever there is an issue related to health or hygiene,” says Pérez. The professor also highlights the creation of a brigade to reestablish family contact and search for people in evacuation centres in the event of a cyclone or other crisis or disaster.The Cuban Red Cross's first aid work in Varadero has resulted in the creation of a living network that includes:Children who share what they have learnt with those around them.Educational staff facilitate the dissemination of information and coordinate talks and workshops.Radio stations and social media platforms that disseminate preventive messages. Rescue teams that can act in seconds.From Angelina's enthusiasm in explaining how to interpret the beach flags to the lifeguard's quick action in performing a vital maneuver, every action, no matter how small, contributes to creating a safer community.Knowing first aid and basic lifesaving skills around water is becoming increasingly important as climate-related events become less predictable, with storms becoming more frequent and severe, and storm surges becoming more intense.

Cuban Red Cross