International cooperation with Cuba was activated following the severe damage caused by Hurricane Melissa, with immediate support from countries like Venezuela and regional organizations such as the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – Peoples’ Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP), which sent shipments of approximately 8,000 tons of aid destined for affected families.

The cyclone struck the eastern region of the Caribbean nation on October 29, causing countless material damages but no fatalities.

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In the province of Santiago de Cuba, the Guillermón Moncada port has become the main point of entry for shipments sent by allied countries and international organizations.

From there, the Eastern Port Services Company and local authorities are working together to ensure the entry and distribution of supplies.

Lurnie Batista Oliva, director of the Port-Transport-Domestic Economy Operation, explained that the process functions as a linked system from the ship’s arrival to the final delivery of the donations. “When the ship docks, an operation begins involving the port operator, the transporters, and all the entities that will receive the resources,” she noted, emphasizing the inter-institutional coordination.

Batista announced that the Defense Council was responsible for compiling the official registry of those affected and organizing the distribution based on the declared needs.

She also explained that each vessel arrives with a precise inventory of its cargo, which ensures a transparent and efficient allocation. “We always make sure that these goods arrive quickly and in good condition to those who truly need them,” she added.

For her part, Madeline Hernández Verdaguer, commercial director of the Eastern Port Services Company, reported that two ships from Venezuela have already arrived.

One of the ships, sent by ALBA-TCP and named Manuel Gual, completed its operations after unloading 102 containers containing food items such as rice, pasta, sugar, and powdered milk, as well as steel sheets, mattresses, bottled water, clothing, shoes, hygiene products, and medicine.

The second ship is still unloading and is carrying more than 2,000 bags of rice, sugar, and pasta, along with mattresses and containers of electrical supplies intended for the recovery of severely affected communities.

Hernández emphasized that each delivery is made in the presence of representatives from the recipient communities and in accordance with verified needs, which strengthens trust in the process and ensures that aid reaches the affected families equitably.

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