A house collapsed in the city of Guantánamo, affected by the rains and strong winds of Hurricane Melissa as it passed through eastern Cuba. Photo: Venceremos Newspaper / Facebook.
Cubalex received a complaint from Guantánamo province about the critical situation facing the population after Hurricane Melissa, without an effective response from the State.
According to a local source, since the alert phase was declared, the population had been expecting to receive the basic food baskets, which had been pending for two months, or at least an emergency distribution. However, no food arrived at the stores, nor were there any donations that would have allowed people to prepare. No food or essential product sales points were set up either. Neither bread, crackers, nor water were offered before, during, or after the hurricane.
The impact was devastating: homes without roofs, flooded streets, downed trees, and collapsed power and telephone lines. In neighborhoods like Río Guaso, Caribe, Obrero, and Dabul, power poles and wires remain on the ground. The city's 95 % district is still without electricity. Only a central area, where hard currency stores and the National Revolutionary Police (PNR) are located, has partial service.
There is no gas or charcoal for cooking. The little charcoal available sells for 4,000 pesos per sack, unaffordable for most. The health situation is alarming: many people are suffering from chikungunya, with fever, nausea, muscle aches, and diarrhea, without medicine or adequate food.
The evacuation centers set up in schools did not guarantee food or basic necessities. People were told to evacuate on their own, bringing their own food and utensils. They were only assured that they could remain there for the duration of the hurricane. Thousands of families went hungry during the hurricane and, upon returning, found their homes collapsed or roofless, with total or partial loss of their belongings.
Authorities have not visited homes to assess the damage. No repair crews have been seen. Resources were transferred to Santiago de Cuba, leaving Guantánamo without support. The accumulation of garbage, trees, and debris in the streets has created unsanitary conditions and mosquito breeding grounds, increasing the risk of disease.
Guantánamo has been forgotten in the news and by state media. “Guantánamo is devastated. A very intense hurricane hit, and there was a lot of fear,” the source recounted.
Residents are denouncing neglect and indifference. Those who try to contact the authorities receive only the response: “You have to wait.” Official information indicates that the electricity service could take a week to be restored, as other provinces are being prioritized.
Cubalex warns of the seriousness of this situation and reiterates that the Cuban State has the obligation to guarantee immediate assistance, access to information, and special protection to the affected communities. We demand that independent humanitarian aid be allowed access and that priority be given to the most vulnerable areas.
We urge the international community, humanitarian agencies and civil society to remain vigilant and provide support to the forgotten communities in the east of the country.
Check the statement Cubalex's full report on the humanitarian emergency in eastern Cuba after Hurricane Melissa:
Visual credits:
Photos: Miguel Noticias on Facebook
Video: Freddy King on Facebook