SITUATION
Assessments continue following Hurricane Paloma, the seventh hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic season. The storm struck Grand Cayman, where Paloma destroyed trees and flooded streets, and Cuba, where authorities evacuated 1.2 million to 1,448 shelters in advance of the storm.
Hurricane Paloma hampered recovery efforts for hundreds of thousands still coping with damage from Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. An estimated 450,000 Cuban homes were damaged, and with 30 percent of Cubans crops destroyed food shortages are a problem.
CWS RESPONSE
Church World Service staff is in contact with our Cuban partner, Iglesia Bando Evangelico Gedeon. CWS is providing a shipment this week of CWS Baby Kits, CWS School Kits and CWS Hygiene Kits in response to Hurricane Gustav, and it is anticipated the shipment can be used as initial support for response to Hurricane Paloma.
For further information about disasters to which Church World Service is responding please visit www.churchworldservice.org or call the CWS Hotline, (800) 297-1516.
CWS Emergency Response Program special contacts: (212) 870-3151
Program Director: dderr@churchworldservice.org