U.S. Pledges $3 Million in Hurricane Relief for Eastern Cuba

Washington will route assistance through the Catholic Church due to strained coordination with Havana.

Overview

The White House Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs said the funds will reach residents in the hardest-hit eastern provinces through church-run distributions.
The State Department said it can deliver relief directly or via local partners and reported receiving no formal assistance request from Cuba.
Senior Communist Party official Roberto Morales Ojeda dismissed the offer as unworthy, citing the embargo and Cuba’s return to the U.S. terrorism list.
Authorities evacuated more than 700,000 people as Hurricane Melissa wrecked homes and infrastructure, with regional deaths near 60 and Cuba’s full damage still unassessed.
U.S. humanitarian teams are operating in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, the Bahamas and Haiti, while Venezuela, Mexico and U.N. agencies have sent aid to Cuba.