Diaz-Canel visited communities affected by the hurricane Melissa in eastern Cuba

HAVANA, Cuba, November 6 (ACN) The President of the National Defense Council, Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, stated in Holguin that while the difficult situation created by Hurricane Melissa has been handled well, "now comes the longest and most complex stage: recovery."

The First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (CCPCC) and President of the Republic arrived in the province Wednesday afternoon to assess the damage caused by the cyclone that made landfall in Cuba in the early morning of October 29.

His visit was part of a busy schedule that began at dawn in Santiago de Cuba. Accompanied by Political Bureau member Roberto Morales Ojeda, Secretary of Organization of the CCPCC, several ministers, deputy ministers, and Party and Government officials in the province, the president visited Urbano Noris and Cacocum, the municipalities most affected in Holguín, according to the Presidency's social media account.

At the Guillermon Moncada Polytechnic Institute in Urbano Noris, where 190 residents of Holguin, mostly children, the elderly, women, and people with disabilities, remain sheltered,Diaz-Canel was warmly received and thanked by those who said they felt at home.

The Head of State reiterated to the evacuees and authorities that no one should return to their homes until conditions are safe, and those who cannot return must receive the necessary care.

In the Estrada community, also in Urbano Noris, where the river waters rose to unprecedented levels, residents told the president how they managed to save their lives, but many lost mattresses, electrical equipment, and roofs.

Diaz-Canel assured them that aid was arriving and that no one would be left without assistance. Later, in Cacocum, the tour included the La Agraria community, where 176 homes were submerged.

There, the president was informed that an assessment of the damage has been completed, social workers have visited all the affected families, and the office for processing applications has begun operating so that those affected can receive the materials to repair their homes.

The president indicated that plans for dealing with disaster situations like the one experienced in this area, where 20 neighborhoods suffered flooding and seven remain submerged, will be updated.