More than a dozen countries, non-governmental organizations, religious institutions, solidarity groups and natural persons from different nations have shown their support for Pinar del Río after Hurricane Ian last September.
This was stated by Camilo Vidal Pérez Padrón, head of the Directorate of Foreign Trade, Foreign Investment and International Cooperation of the Provincial Government, who added that the donations include food, medicines, cover elements, hygiene kits, among other supplies.
“The support from September to date has been very great, including people who have paid for the cargo they bring and who are directed to schools and health institutions. We have a principle that is inviolable and is to respect the will of the donor. In addition, there is a strict control with that, especially with its final destination, ”explained Pérez Padrón.
Photo/ Yoslaine Sanchez Arronte/ACN
In the case of food, Reinier Lores Riverón, general director of the Wholesale Company of Food Products and other Consumer Goods of Pinar del Río, said that they are currently carrying out the third round, in all the municipalities of the province, of products donated by the World Food Program (WFP) to pregnant women, children under five and adults over 65, which consists of two kilograms of rice, one of peas and 1 liter of oil.
He added that, in relation to the aid from Algeria, these supplies were allocated to more than 9,000 families in the towns of the main municipality that were the most affected by Ian.
For his part, Lieutenant Colonel Noel Lozano Martínez, head of the Civil Defense agency in Pinar del Río, said that, as part of the recovery actions, donations have been received from the United Nations system, which includes the WFP, the Unicef, UNDP, among other organizations.
“These donations are part of the contribution of countries and NGOs and whose only priority is assistance to victims of the cyclone. In this way, around 23,000 mattresses have been distributed, the same number of rechargeable lamps, close to 20,000 tarpaulins to cover the roofs, water and hygiene kits, etc.”
He pointed out that currently around 4,000 galvanized zinc roof modules are received in the municipalities, aimed at homes with partial or total roof collapse, since it is a fund at the rate of 10 zinc plates for each home.
“Another specific donation has been from the Red Cross, which consisted of around two million dollars from the United States government and one and a half million from the European Union, money that has been used to buy 1,600 roof modules in China. Some of them are already in the country, including toolkits, health and hygiene.
“It also contains rechargeable lamps, sets of sheets and mosquito nets, all for the families affected by the hurricane. That is why it is important that each victim have their form registered in the paperwork office with their folio number,” warned Lozano Martínez.
He added that in the case of the roof modules from the donation of the Red Cross, they will be destined to type III houses with total collapse of the roof, and that their execution requires the cooperation of the families and the authorities of the territory, since they have a date of completion once the materials are delivered, because that is what the donors demand.
Another recovery response action project in the province has been the Resilient Basin, which has benefited families living in territories located in the Cuyaguateje river basin with a variety of inputs.
