Colombia to deliver humanitarian assistance to Cuba

Bogota, January 10 (RHC)-- The Colombian government will hold a ceremony today to deliver humanitarian assistance to Cuba following the recent emergencies caused by natural phenomena.

The event will take place at the San Carlos Palace, headquarters of the Foreign Ministry, and will be attended by the Vice Minister of Multilateral Affairs, Laura Gil, and the Cuban Ambassador to Colombia, Javier Caamaño.

Last September 27, Hurricane Ian caused in Cuba, particularly in the provinces of Pinar del Río and Artemisa together with the special municipality of Isla de la Juventud, serious damages to the housing sector and left the whole country without electricity.

Ian made landfall in Cuba through the Pinar del Río town of La Coloma (south), and during the almost six hours it took to leave through Puerto Esperanza (north), it caused severe damage to housing, agriculture, the electrical and communications system, as well as to the supply of drinking water to the population.

Shortly before this meteorological phenomenon, on August 5, an electrical discharge during a storm hit a crude oil storage tank at the supertanker base in the port of Matanzas and started a serious fire, which left 16 people dead, 146 injured and caused extensive material damage.

Several countries offered their help to the Cuban people, and after the fire in Matanzas, the governments of Colombia and Bogota, in a gesture of solidarity, donated three thousand square centimeters of skin to help in the recovery of patients affected by the incident.

These tissues were rescued from Colombian donors, complying with all safety and quality standards for the care of patients who require it.