Informing humanitarians worldwide 24/7 — a service provided by UN OCHA

Cuba

Cuba: Drought - Emergency Plan of Action DREF Operation n° MDRCU003 Update n° 2

Attachments

Summary

On 2 June 2016, the IFRC allocated CHF 194,508 from the DREF to the Cuban Red Cross to support the delivery of assistance to 10,000 people (2,000 families). The operation was initially expected to be implemented over a three- month period and completed by 2 September 2016; however, unforeseen delays necessitated a three-month extension, with a new operation end date of 2 of December 2016. Nevertheless, further unanticipated delays require an additional 15-day extension to complete the outstanding activities, and the operation's end date is now 17 December 2016 as a result. This DREF Operations Update serves to report on the water and sanitation activities' progress and delays, as well as extend the operation's end date to 17 December 2016.

Summary of changes made to the emergency plan of action: Revisions have been made to the emergency plan of action (EPoA) for this DREF operation. The Cuban Red Cross (CRC) continues to have difficulties accessing drinking water in the province of Santiago, and the risk is increasing because the levels in the dam and the tributaries continue to decrease. Moreover, the lack of safe water remains a concern for health authorities due to the hazards associated with sporadic availability. Currently, the "supply cycles" are belated and the communities have to wait for more than 20 days to receive the water supplied by the government through pipes. The Civil Defense in the province of Santiago de Cuba has established a working group for coordination in which the Cuban Red Cross participates, thereby promoting its institutional image.

Timeframe of the operation: The Cuban Red Society requested a fifteen-day extension in order to complete the remaining activities.

The death of Cuba’s former leader Fidel Castro on 25 November 2016 halted all of last week’s coordination and implementation activities, including the National Society’s receipt of goods. In addition, Hurricane Otto delayed the shipments from Panama to Cuba.