Holguín. –In Holguín, good work has been done in response to the difficult situation created by the hurricane, but now comes the longest and most complex stage: recovery. This was the warning given by the President of the National Defense Council, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, at the end of a tour yesterday of the two municipalities most affected in this province by the winds and rains of Hurricane Melissa: Urbano Noris and Cacocum.
On a very busy schedule, which had begun in Santiago de Cuba at dawn, the Head of State arrived in Holguín in the afternoon to assess the damage caused by the cyclone that made landfall in Cuba in the early hours of October 29 as a category three storm, as well as to check on the recovery efforts.
We must provide our people with a lot of information and explanations during this recovery stage, because solutions will not come overnight, the president told provincial authorities. We are working hard, we have support from across the country, there is a great movement of solidarity, but the serious damage we have suffered will not be resolved overnight, he said.
At the end of his visit to Cacocum, and at a meeting there of the Provincial Defense Council, the president spoke about the need to restore the main processes and return to normality as far as possible, such as restarting the school year—although this may not be the same everywhere—and other activities that our people normally carry out, he said.
Among the work priorities for this stage, he highlighted sanitation, to erase the ugly mark left by the hurricane, that image of deterioration. He also referred to the revitalization of agriculture, not only recovering the areas that are possible, but also planting others.
He pointed to the restoration of basic services, such as electricity, water supply, telecommunications, and housing, as the fundamental lines of work at present. He also called for maintaining control over the distribution of donations, so that they reach the territories and people most in need.
Díaz-Canel also indicated that the construction of container homes should be expedited; progress should be made in assessing the damage for decision-making purposes; offices should continue to be opened to process paperwork for those affected; and a policy of maximum severity should be maintained for those who take advantage of this difficult time to commit illegal acts.
What we need right now, he reflected, is to create an atmosphere of solidarity and support so that we can recover.
WITH THE PEOPLE, WHERE THE WATERS REACHED THE HIGHEST
The President, accompanied by Roberto Morales Ojeda, member of the Political Bureau and Secretary of Organization of the Party's Central Committee, several ministers, deputy ministers, and Party and Government authorities in the province, visited the Guillermón Moncada Polytechnic in the municipality of Urbano Noris on Wednesday, where 190 Holguín residents remain sheltered: most of them children, elderly people, women, and people with disabilities, who live in areas that were flooded by the impressive and dangerous rise of the rivers.
Díaz-Canel was received there with great affection and gratitude from those who said they felt at home. They are guaranteed food, permanent medical care, and constant protection, although they also spoke of their concern about not knowing how their homes are, even in places where the waters have not receded.
The President returned to a concept that he has repeated several times in recent days to the evacuees and the authorities: that no one should return until the conditions are right, and those who cannot return must receive the necessary care.
He then visited the Estrada community, also in Urbano Noris, where the waters rose to unprecedented levels. The lives of all the residents were saved, but many lost mattresses, electrical equipment, roofs, clothes, and belongings of all kinds, and they made this known to the Head of State, who assured them that help was on the way and that no one would be left helpless.
At the same time, they raised other issues affecting the neighborhood, such as the demand for a closer school for secondary school children, which the President asked the authorities to assess and make decisions on.
In Cacocum, they visited another community heavily impacted by Hurricane Melissa, known as La Agraria, where 176 homes were flooded. As explained to the president there, an assessment of the damage has already been carried out, social workers have visited all the families, and the processing office has begun to operate so that those affected can receive materials to repair their homes.
In the municipality of Cacocum, it was reported that some 20 neighborhoods suffered flooding, and seven remain flooded. On this issue, President Díaz-Canel indicated that plans should be updated to deal with disaster situations such as the one experienced here, which continues to have a significant impact on the population of Holguín.
SOME FACTS
According to Joel Queipo Ruiz, president of the Provincial Defense Council, in Holguín there are 10,116 damaged homes, of which 546 are completely destroyed. 143 offices have already been opened to assist the affected population.
Regarding the territory's infrastructure, he specified that 141 health institutions suffered partial damage, and 457 schools were also affected, 11 of them completely destroyed. Regarding communications, he noted that 32,723 utility poles and 40,112 telephone services were damaged. Recovery in this sector is 60% complete.
In the electricity sector, work has enabled 56.95% of customers to have service, which translates into 197,000. According to the Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, 890 linemen from various provinces are working in Holguín.
The dams are at 94% of their capacity, compared to 60% on October 28, before the hurricane hit. Some 198 million cubic meters of water were received in eight hours, Queipo Ruiz said, adding that 18 dams are overflowing.
In agriculture, more than 18,000 hectares were damaged, mostly banana crops, but cassava, sweet potatoes, and corn were also affected.
The municipalities most affected by the hurricane, with its winds and very intense rains, were Urbano Noris, Cacocum, Cueto, Sagua de Tánamo, and Holguín, said the party leader.
