Cuba, Americas Region: Hurricane Ian Emergency Appeal - Operational Strategy, Appeal No. MDRCU008

TIMELINE

24 September 2022: CRC teams begin evacuations in Pinar del Rio and Mayabeque provinces.

26 September 2022: Hurricane Ian makes landfall in Pinar Del Rio province as a Category 3 storm.

30 September: IFRC Operations Delegate from the Americas Regional Office (ARO) deployed to Cuba.

2 October: Head of Country Cluster Delegation travels to Cuba to coordinate the response with CRC.

5 October 2022: Funding Ask for CHF 9 million approved together with a CHF 1 million Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) loan to support activities.

6 October 2022: IFRC launches Emergency Appeal for CHF 9 million to assist 25,000 people in Pinar del Rio province.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EVENT

On 26 September at 7:00 p.m. EDT Hurricane Ian made landfall in the Pinar Del Rio province of Cuba, battering large swaths of western Cuba with sustained winds of 185 km/h. Six provinces in the west of the country were affected and over 61,000 people had to be evacuated from high-risk areas. According to the World Food Program (WFP) Automated Disaster Analysis & Mapping (ADAM), nearly 600,000 people were exposed to wind speeds of 120 km/h or higher.

Pinar del Rio, Cuba's westernmost province, bore the brunt of the hurricane, with significant damage reported across the province. As of 30 September, Ian had reportedly killed at least three people and left thousands without power. (OCHA, 27 Sept. 2022).

According to the latest situation report (No.11), issued by the Office of the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System in Cuba on 29 September, the situation remains complex throughout the western part of the country.

Severity of humanitarian conditions

1. Impact on accessibility, availability, quality, use and awareness of goods and services

• The population of the 14 municipalities from Pinar del Rio, Artemisa and Mayabeque with the greatest damage accounts for 713,732 people, of whom 352,542 are women, 144,444 are children and adolescents, and 154,989 are over 60.1 In total there are about 3.2 million people in need of humanitarian support.

• As of 10 October, there were more than 6,600 evacuees in Pinar del Rio, many without a home to return to. As of the same date, 85,852 have been diagnosed as affected, 19,197 of them with total or partial collapse.

• Sixty per cent of homes on the electrical grid in Pinar del Río remain without electricity.

• The hurricane damaged 170 health clinics and more than 1,000 schools, affecting the education of 139,000 children. Several community food distribution centres and processing warehouses were also lost, and many people lost fishing boats, livestock, and other means of sustaining their livelihoods.

• Access to safe drinking water remains a priority as well. Despite the use of tank trucks and other alternatives, 47,000 people in Pinar del Río still lack access to potable water. According to UNICEF, main needs include water pumps and purification systems, water tanks, water purification tablets and hygiene kits sufficient for 450,000 people.

• Alternatives are sought to guarantee health services in the face of the severe impact on the infrastructure of the sector. In the municipality of San Luis, 24 of 34 community care clinics suffered total or partial collapse, and 102 family doctor's offices, 5 hospitals, and 23 other health facilities suffered damage.,

• Although 90 per cent of schools in Pinar del Río have re-started the school year in their own facilities, with others looking for alternatives in institutions or in family homes, only 52 per cent of students are attending classes.

2. Impact on physical and mental well-being

• Although there was no significant loss of life, there were some cases of minor injuries, which have been treated.

• The loss of belongings and disruption of daily life for households has required psychosocial assistance and accompaniment by the relevant institutions.

3. Risks & vulnerabilities

The impact on housing was considerable and the possibility of another weather system forming in the Caribbean would increase the vulnerability of provinces already affected by Ian. Continued rainfall increases the risk of flooding and loss of livelihoods and natural ecosystems. In the Atlantic, Hurricane season traditionally ends in in November, however this season started later than usual, and it is likely that it might last beyond the end of November. This means that there is a potential increase in vulnerability stemming from this hurricane.