Response to Hurricane Matthew: Cuba Situation Report No.9 Office of the Resident Coordinator (al 11 10 2016)
This report is produced by the Office of the Resident Coordinator. It covers the period from 14:00 hrs on October 11th to 14:00 hrs on October 12th. The next report will be issued on or around 13/10.
Highlights
The Ministers for Construction, Energy and Mining, Communications, Agriculture, Domestic Trade, and the Deputy Minister of Public Health are still on site in the province of Guantanamo coordinating the recovery actions after the passing of Hurricane Matthew.
Maisí’s Municipal Defense Council (Guantanamo) increased the proportion of affected houses to 94% of the total housing fund in Maisí.
The Ministry of Energy and Mining confirmed that the reestablishment of the electricity service in the city of Photo: Maisí / Periódico Baracoa will take one month and said that the Venceremos situation in Maisí is very complicated.
The agricultural losses amount to 35,000 million pesos in the municipality of Baracoa alone.
Authorities of the province of Holguín are providing for the People’s Councils of Nibujón and Cayo Guin that have become isolated from the rest of the province of Guantanamo due to the collapse of a bridge of the river Toa.
Photo: Elder Leyva / Periódico Venceremos
74,000 94% 35 290 44 13 people remain of the housing million Cuban pesos educational health institutions aqueducts evacuated in sector of Maisí has lost in the institutions severely affected in destroyed in the Guantanamo been damaged agricultural sector of damaged in the 10 municipalities municipality of Baracoa province of Maisí Guantanamo
Situation overview
The Municipal Defense Council of Maisí in the province of Guantanamo has raised the number of affected houses to 94% of the total housing fund of the territory. The situation is exacerbated by the severe damages to state institutions, schools, hospitals, polyclinics, video-viewing rooms and other social spaces, limiting the availability of safe shelters for the people that remain evacuated in the little buildings that remain and in the caves in the area habilitated for that purpose.
Note: All the information in this report has been taken from Cuban official media (TV, radio, and press) and statements from Cuban authorities. Sources: Newspapers Granma, Juventud Rebelde, Periódico 26, Ahora Sierra Maestra y Adelante. Radio stations: Radio Rebelde, Radio Habana Cuba, Radio Angulo, Radio Mambí; Press agencies: Prensa Latina (PL) y Agencia Cubana de Noticias (ACN); Websites: Cubadebate. Supplementary data has been taken from the National Statistics Office website from official documents and from WFP staff in the field.
United Nations Office of the Resident Coordinator www.onu.org.cu Hurricane Matthew, Situation Report 9 | 2
The 28,550 people in the mountainous region of Maisí face the consequences of the rupture of all water networks of the area. National authorities are working hard to provide food and safe water through tanker trucks to the population of Maisí and those evacuated in other territories.
The telecommunication and electricity services are gradually being restored in the eight most affected municipalities of Guantanamo, with the exception of Baracoa and Maisí. The city of Baracoa, world heritage site since 2001, confirms that it will take around a month to reestablish the service to the entire population. In Maisí, technicians sustain that the recovery of the electrical sector will be very complicated.
While waiting for official reports on the extent of the damages inflicted by Hurricane Matthew, the media informs that the agricultural losses amount to 35,000 million pesos (“moneda nacional”) in the municipality of Baracoa alone, as the production of coconut and cocoa has been severely impacted.
Humanitarian Response National authorities
The Ministers for Construction, Energy and Mining, Communications, Agriculture, Domestic Trade, and the Deputy Minister of Public Health remain in the province of Guantanamo coordinating the damage evaluations, the recovery actions, and the care for the affected population.
The Cuban Institute for Friendship has opened a bank account (No. 0300000003347326) to receive donations for the most affected populations. It has been established that the main resources needed are materials for housing, metal or plastic roofing plates, tarps, water containers of 200, 36, and 10 lilters, chlorine tablets, kits for the maintenance and reparation of houses, hygiene kits, mattresses, sheets, latrines, and mosquito nets.
Other public institutions, organizations, and academic centers of the entire country are promoting the recollection of donations of personal goods to be given to the most affected populations.
Evacuated population
The national media reports that the following people remain evacuated in:
Province Evacuated people (12/10/16) Municipality Evacuated people (11/10/16) Total Government Houses Total Government Houses shelters and others shelters and others Guantanamo 74,000 13,000 61,000 Baracoa 14,065 3,747 10,318 (includes Maisi No available data relocation to San Antonio caves) del Sur Imias Yateras Holguin 110 Moa No municipal data Sagua de Tanamo Antilla
It is estimated that over 100 people of the communities of the People’s Council of Nibujón and Cayo Guin of the municipality of Baracoa (Guantanamo), remain evacuated in Holguín due to the collapse of the river Toa.
United Nations Office of the Resident Coordinator www.onu.org.cu Hurricane Matthew, Situation Report 9 | 3
Sectors
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Damages: The national authorities and qualified staff continue to carry out damage 13 assessments of the water, sanitation and hygiene sector. No official data has been aqueducts provided so far. destroyed in Maisí In Maisí, 13 aqueducts were destroyed: 11 gravity-, and 2 pumping water networks.
Response: Repair works to the water network is ongoing. Water supply to the population and the adoption of hygienic- sanitary measures are key priorities in order to avoid the outbreak of epidemics. Authorities in the four most affected municipalities provided the population with more than 2,000 bottles of sodium hypochlorite so as to ensure safe water. The sodium hypochlorite was produced by the provincial Pharmacy and Optics Enterprise. A technical team from Sancti Spíritus was sent to Baracoa to repair the pipelines. Another team had already been deployed to Eastern Cuba to support water distribution through tanker trucks. About 25,000 cubic metres of solid waste were collected in Baracoa. Waste collection is one of the most important tasks in San Antonio del Sur in order to support hygienic sanitary measures. Great part of these actions are focusing on the urban areas of the municipality of San Antonio del Sur and the community of Puriales de Caujeri - where strong winds have scattered 11,000 cubic metres of debris over side-walks, parks, houses and main access roads.
UNICEF: UNICEF is working on a project proposal to respond to the immediate needs related to water and sanitation in the four most affected municipalities in Guantanamo: Baracoa, Maisí, Imías and San Antonio del Sur. The proposal will be channeled through the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), OCHA's financial tool for emergencies. UNICEF is also developing an Action Plan to support the rehabilitation of schools and their water and sanitation services, in the most affected municipalities in the provinces of Guantanamo (Baracoa, Imias, Maisi, Manuel Tames, San Antonio del Sur, Yateras) and Holguín (Moa and Sagua de Tanamo), where the most greatest damages to the educational sector have been reported.
Food Security Damages: Agricultural damages in the municipality of Baracoa are estimated at over CUP 35,000,000 35,000,000 Cuban Pesos. in agricultural damages In Maisí, coffee and cocoa – the main crops in this municipality – were the most estimated in Baracoa affected.
Crop Crop losses per municipality Implications for livelihoods Baracoa Maisi Coffee No information 4,940 hectares, Coffee is the main economic sector in available 150,000 seedlings and the municipality of Maisí (the main 86,000 cans (equivalent to coffee producer in the country). 975 tons) Cocoa 3,365 hectares 570 hectares, and Cocoa is also a key crop in the two 20 tons of predicted produce in municipalities. the short-run Coconut 5,767.2 hectares No information available Baracoa is the main coconut producer in Cuba. Plantain No information No information available It is the second most important crop in available (extended areas) the municipality of Maisí
United Nations Office of the Resident Coordinator www.onu.org.cu Hurricane Matthew, Situation Report 9 | 4
Severe damages were also reported in the forestry sector of Maisí, where thousands of trees were razed to the ground, including coconut palms, citric trees and other fruit trees. In addition, strong winds and rains destroyed the roofs of seven coffee pulping and processing centres in Punta Maisí and Punta Caleta. The food distribution unit (“bodega”) in Boca de Jauco (the municipality of Maisí) was entirely destroyed. Consequently, the stored food is exposed to adverse weather conditions, with serious risk of losses. Cocoa warehouses lost about 25 tons, despite having implemented protection measures prior to the passage of the hurricane (i.e. plastic sheets).
Response: Teams of workers were deployed to the territories affected by Hurricane Matthew to support the restoration of key plantations. In the case of coffee and cocoa, restoration is starting with the youngest plants (between one and four years of being planted). The rehabilitation teams are operating in the areas of Cafetales de Cantillo, Santa Martha, La Maquina, Los Arados and Vertientes. Coffee beans affected by rains are being treated in dryers. In addition, agricultural equipment and tools (axes, chainsaws, machetes, files, picks and shovels) have arrived to the affected areas for the rehabilitation phase. To cope with plantain losses, authorities are planning on planting short-cycle crops, such as pumpkin, sweet potato and vegetables.
WFP: The WFP started an emergency operation to assist the vulnerable populations in the areas affected by the hurricane, comprising 180,000 people. In close coordination with the Government, WFP is organizing the transportation of its prepositioned food stock (rice and beans) to the eight most affected municipalities (Baracoa, Caimaneras, Imias, Maisi, Manuel Tames, San Antonio del Sur and Yateras in the province of Guantanamo, and Moa in the province of Holguin). The Government of Canada has confirmed their contribution for this operation. The WFP continues to mobilize funds for its emergency operation, amounting to approximately USD 4 million.
FAO: FAO continues liaising with its headquarters to support the rapid resumption of agricultural production. For this purpose, FAO is counting with an initial amount of USD 500,000. FAO is mobilizing additional resources for its emergency response.
Shelter and Early Recovery Damages: Access to electricity in the municipalities of Baracoa and Maisí is still 94% interrupted, with the exception of hospitals, food processing centres and water of the housing sector pumping stations - which are using electricity generators. in Maisi has been The Ministry of Energy and Mining stated that the electrical service is expected damaged to be restored within a week for key institutions in the city of Baracoa, and within a month for the entire population. About 90% of the primary and secondary electrical posts in the city have been damaged.
Provinces Municipalities Damages to the housing sector
Affected houses Complete collapses Partial collapses Total losses in roofs Partial losses in roofs
Guantanamo Baracoa 9,210 50 1,391 No available data 4,371
Maisi 94% of the housing fund affected
Imias 45% of the housing fund affected
San Antonio del Sur 330 63 192 No available data
Yateras No available data
Holguin Moa (About) 2,300 163 397 No available data
United Nations Office of the Resident Coordinator www.onu.org.cu Hurricane Matthew, Situation Report 9 | 5
Local authorities in Maisí confirmed that the situation is very serious, as this territory is located in a remote position and already had a weak infrastructure prior to the passage of Hurricane Matthew. Severe damages have been reported for the Maisí-Caleta Ecological Reserve and in the flora and fauna of the Yunque de Baracoa and the Cañon del Yumuri, both in the municipality of Baracoa. In San Antonio del Sur, hundreds of trees, palms and cacti species have been destroyed in the Baitiquiri Ecological Reserve that forms part of the interregional project “Corredor Biologico del Caribe.”
Response: Manufacturing workshops in the provinces of Artemisa, Sancti Spiritus and Las Tunas are working on the production of galvanised steel and ceramic tiles to repair damaged houses. - The “Mario Hechavarría Lopez” asbestos cement factory (Artemisa) dispatched 45,000 galvanised steel tiles out of a total available of 130,000. - The manufacturing plant for construction materials of Santi Spiritus will dispatch a monthly batch of 25,000 ceramic tiles for roofing. They have already sent 1,770 floor tiles, windows, doors, bins, aluminum benches, and 10,200 artisanal tiles. Electric service was reestablished for over a half of the 78,600 affected customers in the province of Guantanamo. More than 90% of the service has been reestablished in San Antonio del Sur, Yateras, and Imías. The service has been fully restored in the less affected areas. The telephone service has partially been reestablished in San Antonio del Sur, Imías, and Baracoa. 10,000 cooking pots are being produced in the province of Camaguey for distribution to affected families in Guantanamo. Recovery actions are being carried out in the urban areas of San Antonio del Sur. In the community of Puriales de Cuajeri, sidewalks, parks, homes, and main access roads are being repaired. There have been severe environmental damages in the protected areas of the region; four of them in the municipality of Baracoa.
UNDP: 9,070 tarpaulins are pre-positioned for distribution in the provinces of Holguin and Guantanamo. 20 mills for rubble recycling have been relocated to the most affected areas. These mills were originally purchased for another UNDP project. With 500,000 USD from their own emergency budget and 100,000 USD from OCHA’s Cash Grant, UNDP is buying 9,000 tarps, 7,500 cooking kits, and 7,800 mattresses that will arrive at the port of Santiago de Cuba around the 27th of October and will be distributed to the most affected populations of Baracoa and Maisí. UNDP, in conjunction with Cuban institutions, is elaborating a program for the quick recovery of homes for a total of 10 million USD. UNDP invites its partners to support this initiative in order to replicate the project of housing recovery realized in Santiago de Cuba in response to Hurricane Sandy.
IOM: The International Organization for Migrations approved USD 150,000 for the emergency response to the impact of Hurricane Matthew in Cuba.
Health Damages:
Authorities confirmed damages to health institutions in 10 municipalities: Baracoa, Caimanera, Imias, Maisi, Manuel Tames, Niceto Perez, San Antonio del Sur and 44 Yateras in Guantanamo; and Moa and Sagua de Tanamo in Holguín. health 19 health institutions were identified as the most damaged (2 hospitals and 17 institutions policlinics) as well as 25 Family Doctors’ offices in Baracoa in addition to the health severely affected institutions that remain to be quantified. in 10 municipalities
United Nations Office of the Resident Coordinator www.onu.org.cu Hurricane Matthew, Situation Report 9 | 6
Baracoa: - 25 Family Doctors’ offices have suffered damages to roofs and marquetry. - The municipal hospital “Octavio de la Concepcion” suffered damages to the wood work and light- weight roof; mainly in the boiler area, laundry room, administrative area, and in all of the Integral System of Emergency department. - The dental clinic has been affected, as well as the Municipal Centre for Hygiene and Epidemiology, the Mental Health Department, and the Home for the Elderly. - The three policlinics of the municipality have been damaged. The greatest damages are reported for the “Hermanos Martinez Tamayo” polyclinic.
Province Municipality Total Affected Total Affected Family Doctors’ Affected Family Policlinics policlinics hospitals hospitals Offices Doctors’ Offices
Guantanamo Baracoa 3 3 1 1 77 25
Maisi 1 1 0 0 40 NA
Imías 1 1 0 0 23 NA
San Antonio del 2 2 0 0 37 NA Sur
Manuel Tames 2 2 ND ND 50 NA
Niceto Perez 1 1 ND ND 23 NA
Caimanera 1 1 ND ND 11 NA
Yateras 2 2 0 0 30 NA
Holguin Moa 2 2 1 1 82 NA
Sagua de 2 2 0 0 69 NA Tanamo
TOTAL 17 17 2 2 442 25
Response: The Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) is working on the rehabilitation of the dental clinic of Baracoa (revision and repair of dental chairs). Activities are in place to clean and rehabilitate the Medical Science branch in Baracoa. MINSAP and MEDICUBA are coordinating the importation of the first resources provided by PAHO for the affected municipalities. PAHO is holding coordination meetings in order to plan upcoming actions (CERF, Action Plan). Participants include representatives of PAHO/WHO and UNFPA, MINSAP Director for Emergencies, an expert from MINSAP Donation Unit, and PAHO’s technical team.
Possible pre-identified health needs (in collaboration with national authorities): - 4,500 square meters of roofing for health institutions (complete kit). - False ceilings and blankets (quantities to be defined).
UNFPA: UNFPA completed the CERF document. They also applied to the Emergency Fund; their headquarters approved the request for the purchase of 17 emergency kits for sexual and reproductive health in order to meet the needs for oral and injectable contraceptives; assisted labour; natural abortion and complication assistance; among other resources needed to guarantee the population’s sexual and reproductive health and gynecological health in emergency situations. If successful, the funds could finance previously identified needs in terms of resources for sexual and reproductive health, as well as for gynecological health during emergencies. UNFPA is preparing their response to habilitate the maternal care units in the 17 polyclinics and 2 hospitals that were severely affected in the provinces of Guantanamo and Holguín. The following needs have been identified: birthing beds, intensive care beds for pregnant women, monitors, infusion pumps, sterilizers, anesthesia equipment for labour, doppler ultrasound, scanner ultrasound, fetal monitors.
United Nations Office of the Resident Coordinator www.onu.org.cu Hurricane Matthew, Situation Report 9 | 7
Education Damages: About 290 educational institutions were affected in the province of Guantanamo, 290 with different levels in damage. educational institutions The four most affected municipalities of the province of Guantanamo (Baracoa, affected in the Imías, Maisí and San Antonio del Sur) could not resume their educational province of activities yesterday – Tuesday 11 of October – as had been planned. Guantanamo In Baracoa, 80 out of a total of 123 educational centres are affected. Among those, 15 schools have totally collapsed and 52 have suffered partial damage to their roofs.
Response: The academic year resumed in 6 out of the 10 municipalities of the province of Guantanamo: Guantanamo, Manuel Tames, Yateras, El Salvador, Niceto Perez and Caimanera. Resumption of classes in the municipalities of Imías and San Antonio del Sur in the province of Guantanamo was planned for today. In some cases, an alternative learning space such as a house or a state institution has to replace the classroom. In Baracoa, classes will resume in 30 schools on October 17, including 21 primary schools, 4 secondary schools, 3 daycare centres, one high school and one specialized school. Methodologists, directors and other specialists are implementing hygiene measures before the students’ arrival. Classes in Maisí are expected to start next week.
UNICEF UNICEF is preparing a project proposal to ensure the rapid return of children and adolescents to learning activities in safe spaces in the four most affected municipalities of Guantanamo: Baracoa, Imias, Maisi and San Antonio del Sur. The proposal will be part of the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), OCHA's financial tool for emergencies. UNICEF is also developing an Action Plan to support the rehabilitation of schools and their water and sanitation services in the most affected municipalities in the provinces of Guantanamo (Baracoa, Imias, Maisi, Manuel Tames, San Antonio del Sur, Yateras) and Holguin (Moa and Sagua de Tanamo), where the most severe damages in the educational sector have been reported.
Logistics Damages: It is estimated that the food storage networks – which include warehouses and food distribution points (“bodegas”) – suffered serious damages in the municipalities of Baracoa and Maisi. This represents a serious challenge to ensure the storage of food assistance in the most affected areas. Response: Rehabilitation works are in place for the "Via Mulata" - one of the most important roads in the area that links the municipalities of Manuel Tames, San Antonio del Sur and Yateras to Baracoa. These measures will streamline the dispatch of key resources to the affected populations. Preparatory measures were implemented in the Port of “Guillermon Moncada” in Santiago de Cuba to receive over 300 tons of equipment and construction materials that were dispatched from Venezuela. Authorities also secured transports to ensure the rapid deployment of humanitarian assistance to the provinces of Guantanamo and Holguin.
WFP WFP is following up to the dispatch of five WiikHalls, which are expected to arrive tomorrow (October 13th, 2016) in Santiago de Cuba by air cargo. These items will be deployed in the two municipalities of Baracoa and Maisí to protect the food destined to assist the most affected populations, as well as to strengthen local storage capacities. The air cargo will also comprise 30 boxes of water purifying tablets donated by UNICEF. Moreover, WFP is carrying out a purchase process for 400 pallets, which will serve as WiikHalls flooring to protect food commodities. The pallets are expected to arrive with a container at the Port of Santiago by October 24th.
United Nations Office of the Resident Coordinator www.onu.org.cu Hurricane Matthew, Situation Report 9 | 8
General Coordination
A meeting between the United Nations System in Cuba and representatives from international non-governmental organizations working in the country has taken place today, 12 October. Information and data was exchanged regarding the damage caused by Hurricane Matthew, as well as affected territories and populations. Additionally, the current and possible future response actions were discussed.
Crisis background Given the severe impact on the housing sector in the most affected municipalities, about 74,000 people remain evacuated. Access to water and food remains a challenge in Maisí, where 90% of the houses and institutions have been damaged. The municipal Defence Council is coordinating the distribution of water and food, as well as the implementation of hygienic and sanitary measures to avoid disease outbreaks as one of the main priorities. Damages to the agricultural sector have yet to be quantified. The electricity service has partially been restored in the most affected areas and the telecommunication and national transport services to the municipality of Baracoa were restored.
For further information, please contact: Myrta Kaulard, Resident Coordinator, UN System in Cuba, [email protected], Tel: +53 7 204 1492 Liudmila Curbelo, Coordination Officer, UN System in Cuba, [email protected], Tel: +53 7 204 1513
For further information, please visit: www.unocha.org, www.reliefweb.int, www.redhum.org, www.onu.org.cu.
For further information, please visit: Instituto de Meteorología de Cuba: http://www.met.inf.cu Granma: http://www.granma.cu Juventud Rebelde: http://www.juventudrebelde.cu/ Agencia Cubana de Noticias: http://www.acn.cu/ Cubadebate: http://www.cubadebate.cu
To be added to or removed from the distribution list, please write to: [email protected]
United Nations Office of the Resident Coordinator www.onu.org.cu