Period covered by this Ops Update: 22 November 2012, to 15 January 2013.

Appeal target (current): With this Operations Update, the appeal is revised to CHF 4,813,267 (3,961,600 EUR or 5,145,240 USD). Appeal coverage: 97% or CHF 4,702,062; Further contributions to cover the gap in funding are encouraged

Appeal history:

• On 27 October 2012, a Preliminary Emergency Appeal was issued seeking 5,453,221 Swiss francs to support the Cuban Red Cross (CRC) to assist 15,000 families (75,000 beneficiaries) for nine months.

Juan Vera

By Susan Kim*

February 12, 2013—When Dan Christopherson observed the damage in Cuba during Hurricane Sandy's aftermath, he saw widespread devastation to both churches and homes. Parts of Cuba were pummeled by Sandy's high winds. In other areas, he said, “it's not necessarily a strong wind, but it's a weak house.”

The end result was, unfortunately, the same.

Cuba has 357 Methodist churches, the majority of which are “house churches,” meaning that religious gatherings are held in a private residence.

“Adaptation to climate change is urgent and must be part of development,” said the UN resident coordinator in Cuba, assessing the damage done by hurricane Sandy

1. MAJOR CHANGES SINCE PREVIOUS VERSION OF THE HIP

After hurricane Sandy hit Cuba, it was clear that it was a major natural disaster and that at least EUR 4 million was needed to enable DG ECHO to contribute to addressing the needs. However, at the end of the year, DG ECHO's Operational Reserve was almost exhausted and only EUR 2 million was immediately available. Therefore a further EUR 2 million was requested from the Emergency Aid Reserve, and this HIP has now been updated to include this additional amount.

Caracas, 04 Dic. AVN.- A total 1,867 tons of humanitarian aid has been sent by Venezuela to sister nations of Cuba and Haiti, which are recovering after the devastation caused by hurricane Sandy late in October this year.

Interior Relations and Justice Minister Nestor Reverol said the information Monday, adding that a new shipment would be sent with 380 tons of humanitarian aid for the two nations, 200 for Cuba and 180 for Haiti.

A month after Hurricane Sandy hit Cuba, outbreaks of cholera and dengue fever have been reported in the provinces of Santiago de Cuba, Las Tunas and Guantánamo.

SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Nov 23 2012 (IPS) - “The city looked as if it had been bombed. On the way to my office, I passed people who had the same shocked look on their faces as I did. We would look at each other, and even though we were strangers, we’d ask ‘How did things go for you? Did anything happen to your house?’ It was a kind of warm solidarity that did me a lot of good.”

"It's not looking good," official said as winds headed for shore.

By Reporters in Cuba - Latin America

The devastation caused by the hurricane that hit Cuba in the last week of October was made worse by the poor state of many buildings, according to eyewitnesses.

Hurricane Sandy was the worst natural disaster to strike Cuba in half a century.

As the hurricane raced towards shore, Lázaro Expósito Canto, head of the Provincial Defence Council in Santiago de Cuba, made a last-minute announcement on television and radio.

Cuba was one of the places worst affected by Hurricane Sandy. Dr. Luis Foyo Ceballos, the director general of the Cuban Red Cross, talks about how they are responding to the disaster.