PLAN OF 2019 ACTION UNITED NATIONS SYSTEM IN CUBA FEBRUARY CUBA PHOTO: BOHEMIA MAGAZINE, CUBA CUBA PLAN OF ACTION $14.4 to respond to the urgent needs of 253,82 affected by the tornado in the 14 popular peoples councils that suffered the greatest impact. PRELIMINARY PATH TORNADO IN HAVANA ON 27 JANUARY 2019 HAVANA ARTEMISA MAYABEQUE MATANZAS VILLA CLARA PINAR DEL RIO CIENFUEGOS CIEGO SANCTI DE AVILA SPÍRITUS CAMAGÜEY LAS TUNAS HOLGUIN GRANMA SANTIAGO GUANTANAMO DE CUBA CUBA PLAN OF ACTION 2019 CUBA SITUATION OVERVIEW On 27 January 2019, slightly more than a year after Hurricane Areas with the greatest impact Irma hit Havana, Cuba, a severe tornado hit five Havana municipalities. The EF4 category tornado (using the Enhanced The national authorities are carrying out assessments in the Fujita Scale with a maximum intensity of 5) produced winds affected municipalities of Havana and the United Nations of up to 300 kilometers per hour and travelled at a speed of 46 System is consulting with the national authorities regarding km/h to cut a 400 to 600-meter-wide path of destruction. the extent of the damage in addition to monitoring all public and official sources of information. In Havana, a city of more than 2 million inhabitants, the tornado swept across the municipalities of Cerro, 10 de Given the magnitude of the disaster, data collection on the Octubre, Regla, Guanabacoa and Habana del Este which damage continues; however, preliminary estimates now totalized 668,822 in population. From that total, some 253,682 indicate that 5,334 homes were affected, of which 505 were living in 14 People’s Councils suffered direct impact and have totally destroyed, 804 had total loss of roofs and 2,210 had been devastated by the damage. partial collapse and roof loss. In addition to the havoc wreaked on homes, people have also lost basic necessities Of the total number of people evacuated, some 9,413 are living such as mattresses, kitchen utensils, furniture, and personal in the homes of relatives and friends and 524 are in 15 shelters care items. authorized by local governments. Critical damage to the electrical distribution system and the Despite the early warning from the Institute of Meteorology of loss of water tanks and other water collection systems caused the impending complex climate conditions, the impossibility of serious limitations for access to safe water and sanitation in 03 predicting an event of this magnitude and intensity caused the these areas. Despite the rapid response of sector authorities loss of six lives and injured 195 persons, leaving over ten people to restore services, guarantee pumped water and replace in critical condition. tanks, people who live in the most devastated areas, where The rapid mobilization of Civil Defense allowed the urgent household water networks were severely affected, remain evacuation of the 10 de Octubre Obstetrics-Gynecology without access to drinking water. This situation causes an Teaching Hospital to other healthcare facilities. This maternal increase in the risk of water and vector-borne diseases due hospital has the second highest birth rate in the country and to lack of hygiene, safe water and deficient hand washing the highest in the province of Havana. Furthermore, it is the practices. provincial centre for underweight (less than 1500g) newborn Under these living conditions, it becomes a challenge care, intrauterine growth retardation and other perinatal for families to ensure that food is cooked appropriately conditions. to guarantee adequate nutrition for family members, In the midst of the disaster, with violent winds that tore off particularly those with special needs, such as pregnant and doors, broke windows and destroyed everything in its path, the nursing women and children and people aged 65 or above. health staff protected the lives of 195 hospitalized mothers and Although pre-cooked food services have been opened in the their children, including 14 neonatal patients and four critically affected area, a broader response is still required to cover ill patients. the basic needs of the victims in general and especially of The population of the affected areas was left without basic vulnerable groups. services of water, electricity, and telephone after the tornado hit, A total of 19 public health facilities suffered serious with estimates of more than 144,000 without electricity, some damage, including polyclinics, primary care clinics within for more than a week. More than 16,000 telephone service the community system, nursing homes and pharmacies. complaints were reported and cellphone service and internet Although there is medical coverage for the population, there connectivity were also affected. are severe losses in the five municipalities, with significant Initial assessments point to critical impacts on housing, water structural damage as well as serious losses in medical tanks, electrical services, health institutions and educational supplies and equipment. centres, institutions that store or distribute food, industry and The Obstetrics-Gynecology Teaching Hospital, which other important economic sectors of the country. A week after suffered the greatest damage, serves the population of 10 of the tornado, more than 200,000 cubic meters of debris had Octubre and San Miguel del Padrón, where 17 per cent of been collected from the streets of Havana with reports of more the population of the entire province is concentrated. On than 1,600 fallen trees throughout the devastated area. average, there are 4,400 births in this facility per year. CUBA PLAN OF ACTION 2019 About 80 school facilities were also affected by the tornado, de Octubre Obstetrics-Gynecology Teaching Hospital and mainly with structural damage and loss in wooden the rescue and aid of people injured in areas impacted by the construction and roofs. Eleven daycare centres and schools tornado. have had to be relocated to other facilities in order to A concerted effort was immediately made to restore continue functioning. The continuity of the school year is a electricity, water and telephone services severely damaged high priority for the country, and education sector personnel by the tornado as quickly as possible. Measures were have visited affected families where there may be children taken to guarantee the distribution of water and food who have been unable to return to school. in the devastated areas and to intensify sanitation and epidemiological surveillance measures. Despite the efforts, Most affected areas challenges in services still exist in areas of the greatest impact. Five municipalities were hardest hit by the 27 January The Council of Ministers of the Republic of Cuba conducts a tornado: Cerro, 10 de Octubre, Regla, Guanabacoa and daily assessment of the response under the direct leadership Habana del Este1. The tornado originated in the Casino of the Cuban President. National, provincial and local Deportivo district in Cerro, and throughout its course, authorities are constantly visiting the most affected People´s crossed the municipalities of 10 de Octubre, Regla and Councils and various industrial and productive sector Guanabacoa, heading out to sea through the Celimar district facilities in an ongoing effort to evaluate the damage. in Habana del Este. The network of public health institutions guarantees that the It is estimated that its path covers an area of 10 square population in the areas where services have not been restored kilometers on a route 20 kilometers long with a 400 to receive medical care, and specialized personnel guarantee 600-meter-wide affected area. The greatest damage was psychological support in the People’s Councils, where reported in the municipalities of 10 de Octubre, Regla and the impact was most devastating. The national legislation Guanabacoa (See Map 1 in page 2). establishes provisions for salary coverage for victims in times of disaster and measures were taken to protect self-employed people. 04 Affected population As part of the response, priority is given to the affected A population of 668,822 people live in the five municipalities population’s access to construction materials and water impacted by the tornado. storage tanks at subsidized prices. Accelerated construction In particular, 14 People´s Councils (Armada, Luyanó, of 212 houses for families who lost their homes has started Tamarindo, Santos Suárez, Jesús del Monte, Vista Alegre, and State institutions have authorized the use of facilities to Guaicanimar, Loma Modelo, Chibás-Roble, Mañana-Habana be adapted for housing purposes. National authorities have Nueva, Villa I, Villa II, Berroa and Celimar) suffered the adopted streamlining processes to deliver donations arriving greatest impacts. It is estimated that 253,682 people were for the affected population. The Government of Havana has directly affected. provided two warehouses at the provincial level and ten in the most affected People’s Councils to receive donations of Of these, particular emphasis will be given to the more than clothing, shoes, food and other products sent by individuals 80,000 people located in the tornado’s path and affected by and institutions from within Cuba. The daily distribution of partial or total collapse of homes, severe damage to basic donated goods is made with the support of community and community health services, education, distribution of basic trade union organizations. foodstuffs and safe water distribution. Maximum attention will be given to some 20,000 critically affected people who have either lost their homes entirely or suffered severe partial United Nations System Response damages or who have lost their basic livelihoods. To provide immediate support for national efforts, the United Among the most affected are 58,347 vulnerable persons, Nations System (UNS) in Cuba has deployed an immediate including children under five, pregnant women, and adults response strategy. This includes basic pre-positioned supplies over the age of 65. in the country such as tents (UNDP), food (WFP), ten-liter capacity collapsible tanks and school materials (UNICEF) Response from national authorities which have been made available to national authorities and some of which are currently being distributed.