Help Cuba Recover from Its Worst Economic Disaster

Money for hurricane relief is urgently needed

Cuba has suffered “the worst /economic disaster/ in its history,” some news agencies have reported. Damage from hurricanes Gustav and Ike is estimated between $3 and $4 billion. 2.5 million persons (from a population of 11 million) were evacuated and many thousands will remain evacuated because they have lost their homes. The total number of houses damaged by the two storms was 320,000 (entire small towns and 70% of houses in the Western provinces). Gustav alone totally destroyed more than 30,000 houses. Thousands of schools, hospitals, factories and other buildings have been damaged. Most crops in the entire island have been lost due to the winds and/or flooding. Most of the electricity network was damaged. And the list of destruction can go on and on…

Cuba needs your help because (thanks to the US embargo/blockade) it does not have access to the international credit system, so it is short in cash to deal with immediate needs, especially food and construction materials.

Canada

We understand that a Canadian organization is organizing a relief fund. We’ll publish information on that as soon as it is available. UPDATE: The Canadian Network on Cuba has launched a Hurricane Relief Fund. See here for details.

Britain

The Cuba Solidarity Campaign
c/o UNITE Woodberry
218 Green Lanes
London N4 2HB

Please make your cheque payable to CSC and write “Hurricane Appeal” on the back.

USA

There are seven organizations in the US that have licenses from the US government to send humanitarian aid to Cuba. Write check to one of the organizations listed below, and mail to:

Cuba Hurricane AID,
P.O. Box 53106,
Washington, DC 20009.
USA

Include your name, address and phone number on any mailed donations in order to receive a donation confirmation letter.

The Disarm Education Fund. Since 1994, the Disarm Cuban Medical Project has worked to combat the effects of the US embargo against Cuba on the health of the Cuban people and to advocate for a change in US policy, delivering more than $75 million worth of desperately needed medicines and medical supplies to Cuba, benefiting more than 2 million people. They are committed to supplying 60 Cuban hospitals and community clinics – 20 in Havana and 40 in the countryside – with supplies ranging from such desperately needed basics as aspirin, insulin, gauze pads, and syringes, to the most advanced treatments for pediatric cancer and AIDS. (www.disarm.org <http://www.disarm.org/>)

Global Links. Global Links’ program of medical aid to Cuba began in 1994 at the request of The Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO). This program is a federally licensed humanitarian aid program. Aid sent is received and distributed to health institutions by the PAHO/WHO office in Havana and the Cuban Ministry of Health. Global Links has received a list of requested products from PAHO and is raising funds to purchase and send them to Cuba. (http://www.globallinks.org/wherewework/cuba/)

Operation USA. Since its inception in September 1998, CMAP has delivered major shipments to pediatric hospitals and other health facilities. Supplies are donated by private companies, hospitals and physicians and are sent to Cuba under license from the U.S.-Departments of Commerce and Treasury. Operation USA is accepting cash contributions to pay for shipping medical supplies to Cuba. (http://www.opusa.org/wherewework/international/cuba/mainpage.html)

MEDICC. MEDICC—Medical Education Cooperation with Cuba, is a non-profit organization working to enhance cooperation among the US, Cuban and global health communities aimed at better health outcomes. MEDICC supports education and development of human resources in health committed to equitable access and quality care, providing the Cuban experience to inform global debate, practice, policies and cooperation in health. MEDICC is seeking financial donations to replenish stocks of key medical reference books lost at the badly damaged Isle of Youth Medical School, where over 2,000 young Cubans study medicine and public health. (http://www.medicc.org/ns/index.php?s=3&p=3 <http://www.medicc.org/ns/index.php?s=3&p=3>)

Catholic Relief Services. Catholic Relief Services has worked with Caritas Cubana, the Catholic Church’s relief agency, to provide emergency, humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable and needy people in Cuba since 1993. CRS delivers medicine, medical supplies, food and clothing to Cuba for distribution in hospitals, homes for the elderly, and to children with Down syndrome and other vulnerable groups. CRS is working with Caritas Cubana in the affected areas in infrastructure projects and assistance with access to food, hygiene products and water. (http://crs.org/Cuba/)

Jewish Solidarity Since 1993, Jewish Solidarity has delivered over 35 tons of medicine, food and other supplies to Cuba’s more than 1500 Jews in Havana and throughout this island nation. They have a humanitarian license that allows them to collect financial donations to then buy the necessary items that are most needed in Cuba. Jewish Solidarity is accepting financial donations to buy medicine, food and other supplies to be distributed in Cuba.

Daughters of Charity The Daughters of Charity, a non-profit organization based in Miami, Florida, that has been sending humanitarian goods to Cuba since 1994. You can send a check donation so they can buy needed food items and pay the cost of the containers they will be sending to Cuba.