US to Allocate $2 Mln to Support Cuba's Recovery Efforts from Hurricane Ian

On Tuesday, the US State Department said the Biden administration is providing Cuba with $2 million in emergency relief funding to help in the wake of Hurricane Ian.

The aid comes in response to a rare request for emergency assistance made by the Cuban government last month after a Category 3 hurricane swept through the western part of the island.

The aid will go through the US Agency for International Development as emergency relief for the needy in Communist-ruled Cuba.

“The United States is providing to the Cuban people critical humanitarian aid to trusted international partners working directly with Cubans whose communities were devastated by the storm,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in an emailed statement. 

The statement said the United States will work with “trusted, independent organizations operating in the country who have a long presence in hurricane-affected communities.”

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez thanked the US on Twitter.

“We appreciate humanitarian assistance offer made by the U.S.,” he wrote. 

“This material contribution that is worth 2 million USD, channelled through the International Federation of Red Cross, will add up to our recovery efforts in support of the victims of the ravages caused by Hurricane Ian.”