Anticipatory Action: Cuba

Getting ahead of hurricanes

Because of its location in the Caribbean, Cuba faces high exposure to tropical storms and hurricanes, which are increasingly intense and put people and their livelihoods at serious risk. Evidence shows that anticipatory action, with clear triggers, pre-arranged funding and activities carried out during the critical window between forecast and landfall, can significantly reduce impacts.

The National General Staff of Civil Defense, together with the Institute of Meteorology (INSMET) and the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Investment, developed the Anticipatory Action Framework for Hurricanes in Cuba, with support from OCHA’s Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean and in close collaboration with the Resident Coordinator’s Office and the UNETT. The framework delivers a package of coordinated anticipatory and early response activities to protect 170,000 people at risk of hurricane impacts.