Plan of Action - United Nations System Cuba: Hurricane Oscar Response (October 2024)

In response to Hurricane Oscar’s effects in the province of Guantanamo, the Plan of Action seeks $33.2 million to support the 478K affected people in their most urgent needs.

Situation Overview

Amid a complex national energy situation, on October 20 Hurricane Oscar made landfall in the eastern part of Cuba as a Category 1 hurricane. The hurricane generated winds of more than 130 km/h near Baracoa, in the province of Guantánamo. Its devastating path through the eastern region severely affected nearly half a million people, of which about 150,000 suffered critical damage. So far, seven people have been reported dead.

Hurricane Oscar, with a travel speed of only 4 km/h, remained in the eastern region, mainly in the province of Guantánamo for 25 hours. During this period, the region was hit by severe rainfall, with accumulations of up to 600 mm in some areas. This, accompanied by strong winds, caused a critical emergency situation in territories that usually face the challenges of drought.

More than 72 hours after the event, heavy flooding and rising rivers persisted and rescue efforts carried on in hard-to-reach areas. As of October 25, heavy rains continue negatively impacting the eastern part of the territory, making the search and rescue efforts and the response to the affected population complex. Most of the province reports several days without electricity, even before the hurricane hit, making access to drinking water, food and health services difficult. In addition, the lack of electricity has jeopardized the transmission of reports on the situation in the territory, which has made it difficult to identify the detailed impact of the emergency. The complexity of the situation in Guantánamo is such that part of the province remained in the Cyclonic Alarm Phase even 4 days after the Hurricane hit, although the Civil Defense has declared a return to normality in the rest of the provinces.

Most Urgent Needs

Thousands of people have lost all their belongings and goods, including food, cooking equipment, water storage containers, hygiene products, mattresses, and household appliances. So far, preliminary assessments indicate that more than 14,300 homes or service facilities have suffered significant damage and more than half of these experienced total roof collapses, resulting in the loss of their entire necessities along with damage to flooded homes. It is estimated that this number could continue to increase as the quantification of damage in territories cut off by flooding and infrastructure disruption progresses. Damage to vital community services facilities such as health institutions, food distribution centers, water supply, sanitation services, warehouses, pharmacies and schools are also identified. Agriculture and food processing facilities have been severely damaged, making access to food and people's livelihoods more difficult.

Preliminary damage is recorded in 56 public health facilities in the municipalities of Baracoa, Maisí, Imías and Guantánamo, including a general hospital, polyclinics, family doctor's offices and pharmacies with impacts on essential medical equipment, maternal and child program services, among others. The present situation significantly increases the risk of disease outbreaks, in particular arboviruses. Guantánamo had been identified by health authorities as one of the territories with the highest levels of vector infestation, in a national context of high prevalence of dengue and Oropouche fever.

Of the 349 existing educational centers in the municipalities of Baracoa, Maisí, Imías and San Antonio del Sur, total and partial damage has been identified in 150 institutions (43%) with effects also on school furniture and loss of school materials (books, notebooks, school supplies and others).

More than 15,000 hectares of land were affected, with heavy losses of food crops. In addition, the storage, cooking and food preservation capacities of households and institutions, including those that support social safety nets, have been affected. Likewise, half of the salt production in the municipality of San Antonio del Sur and almost all coffee crops in the affected territories, both fundamental livelihoods of the inhabitants of the area were destroyed, which could add challenges in terms of employment and economic support for the families.

The critical damage to the national electro-energy system has directly affected water supply, added to severe damage to water infrastructure and the loss of tanks and water collection and distribution systems in homes and institutions. Breaks in hydraulic systems and roads cause serious limitations to access to safe water and sanitation in these territories, vital services for survival and prevention of outbreaks of diseases of water-sanitary and vector origin. In addition, families have lost their hygiene supplies, limiting the ability to prevent diseases.

The hurricane's impact comes at a time when the country is facing an energy emergency due to the deterioration of its electricity infrastructure and fuel shortages, in a context of unilateral external sanctions. At the time of the impact, authorities were working to restore their national electrical power system, the disconnection of which had caused disruptions to basic services, including access to drinking water, sanitation and food preservation.

National efforts have been immediate to rescue and care for those affected. However, the damage is devastating. Supporting national authorities in efforts to protect vulnerable groups and restore essential services that continue in difficult and/or suspended conditions is urgently required.

Cuba is excluded from major international financial institutions and faces extremely limited access to international capital markets, making it extremely difficult to finance disaster response and development. In the face of the destructive impact, it is critical to support Cuba in its ongoing response and recovery efforts.