Guantánamo Shows signs of recovery after Hurricane Melissa

GUANTANAMO, Cuba, Nov 4 (ACN) The recovery of the electrical service, one of the most sensitive and in-demand services by the population, is at 58 percent in the eastern province of Guantánamo following the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

During a meeting of the Provincial Defense Council (CDP) held last night, attended by Joel Pérez García, president of the CDP; Alis Azahares Torreblanca, vice president; and Eloy Álvarez Martínez, Minister of Industries, the need for agility in resolving the breakdowns was emphasized. Nine brigades from the territory are working on repairs, mostly caused by fallen trees.

It was specified that in the case of the main municipality, 84% of the service had been restored by this Monday. Work is underway to conclude in Caimanera, advance towards the eastern municipalities (San Antonio del Sur and Imías), and in the rest of the province's localities, which have been without power for seven days, since before Melissa hit.
Álvarez Martínez stated that where there is electrical service, it must coincide with the water rotation cycles, as this is not being met in some parts of Guantánamo city, affecting this service.

As of November 2, over 67,000 people are affected by the lack of piped water service, representing 17.6% of the served population, and the urgency of resolving issues to alleviate this situation was stressed.

Regarding housing, with a preliminary figure of just over 10,000 affected homes, Pérez García indicated the need for a thorough review of the cases, which must be visited by technicians, then registered at the processing desks with their technical data sheets, followed by the corresponding procedures.

407 families remain housed in assisted conditions, both in homes and other facilities, and work is underway to solve the problems so that those with less damage can return to their homes and continue from there with the full recovery of their properties.

A swift distribution of food was demanded. Two pounds of rice per consumer are being delivered to municipalities that have not yet received it, along with powdered milk for different children's groups. In the coming days, two more pounds of cereal will be distributed, along with peas and other products.

Regarding Education, it was specified that 412 schools have resumed activities, although with low student attendance, while other general and artistic education centers will do so during the week, and universities will resume next week.

The president of the CDP referred to the delay in collecting debris and tree branches in all municipalities and set Wednesday, November 5, one week after the cyclone's strike, as the deadline for eliminating the traces of Melissa and declaring the cities and communities clean and sanitized.

The importance of direct exchange with the people was emphasized, explaining the province's real damages and the recovery tasks being carried out to restore normalcy to the people of Guantánamo.