UN agencies move to help hurricane-hit Cuba
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Hurricane Sandy hits Holguin, Cuba
United Nations agencies are moving to help Cuba which has been hit by Hurricane Sandy, according to the UN Resident Coordinator in the country, Barbara Pesce-Monteiro.
According to the United Nations humanitarian agency, OCHA, Hurricane Sandy caused severe destruction to Santiago de Cuba, the second largest city in the Caribbean island country.
OCHA says that nearly 200,000 homes have been damaged and power cuts are affecting more than 890,000 Cubans.
The head of OCHA in Cuba, Barbara Pesce-Monteiro says the impact of Hurricane Sandy on Cuba is very serious.
"It has impacted the second most important city of Cuba with half a million population and the important city Holguin and therefore not only in the cities themselves but in the capacity of the cities to serve these surrounding areas and it is serious. We are helping to identify the damages and we have also ensures a rapid response from the difference UN agencies to the country which will be arriving in the next few days." (Duration: 26")
Ms. Pesce-Monteiro says that OCHA is also designing a programme funded by donors to rapidly respond to the crisis in Cuba.
