U.S. to provide aid to Cuba to help in Hurricane Ian recovery efforts

The $2 million in aid after a rare request from the Cuban government will go through the U.S. Agency for International Development, the State Department said. 

By Carmen Sesin

The Biden administration is providing Cuba with $2 million in funding for emergency relief to help with the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, the State Department announced Tuesday.

The aid is in response to a rare request for emergency assistance Cuba’s government made last month, after the Category 3 hurricane plowed through the western part of the island.

The aid will go through the U.S. Agency for International Development, as emergency relief to those in need in communist-run 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 U.S. will work with “trusted, independent organizations operating in the country who have a long presence in hurricane-affected communities.”

Cuban Foreign Minister Burno Rodriguez thanked the U.S. on Twitter.

“We appreciate humanitarian assistance offer made by the U.S.,” he wrote. “This material contribution that is worth 2 million USD, channeled through the International Federation of Red Cross, will add up to our recovery efforts in support of the victims of the ravages caused by #HurricaneIan.”