UN launches 74 mln USD plan of action for Cuba following Hurricane Melissa's impact

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- The UN System in Cuba launched a plan of action totaling 74 million U.S. dollars to support the country's national response to the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa, alongside the Cuban government, a UN spokesperson said Wednesday.

Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, said in a daily briefing that the plan aims to assist 1 million people among the 2.2 million in need across the country's eastern provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Holguin and Guantanamo.

Citing the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the spokesperson noted that the plan of action outlines a coordinated response by UN agencies in support of the Cuban government and the civil defense system.

Of the 74 million dollars the plan calls for, 4 million dollars was released ahead of the hurricane from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund, and UN agencies have also put forth an additional 7 million dollars, leaving a funding gap of about 64 million dollars to meet urgent needs, said Haq.

The response focuses on health, water and sanitation, shelter, education and early recovery, with special attention to be paid to the needs of women, children and other vulnerable groups, he said.

In Haiti, authorities said that as of Tuesday, 43 people died, with dozens injured and at least 13 people remained missing, the spokesperson noted.

According to Haq, OCHA said that the United Nations and its humanitarian partners continue to scale up response efforts in the Grand Sud region, the area in Haiti most affected by Hurricane Melissa. ■