OCHA Situation Report No. 13
Hurricane Michelle - Cuba
27 December 2001


1.  On 20 December 2001, the Government of Cuba presented, through a
television broadcast of the President, an update of the impact of
Hurricane Michelle.

- Damage caused by Michelle is the most severe caused by any hurricane.
166,515 houses were affected of which, 12, 579 were totally destroyed. The
average number of occupants is five per house.

- In the area of services, the supply of electricity was the most
affected. Large sections of the country were without electricity for some
19 days and thousands of telephones were cut. 5,761 electric poles, 627
transformers and 125 transmission lines were severely damaged.

- Over 50% of the sugar sector was affected. The loss in exports it is
estimated at some USD 60 million.  In the citrus sector, the loss in
exports is estimated at some USD 27 million.

- Banana and plantain crops were mostly destroyed in the three most
affected provinces of Cienfuegos, Matanzas and Villa Clara. Many other
crops were severely damaged, all compromising the food security of Cuba in
the short and medium term.


2.  As mentioned in OCHA Situation Report no. 12, on 16 November 2001 the
Resident Coordinator in Havana shared the Preliminary Report of the
inter-agency assessment mission with diplomatic representatives in Havana.
The Resident Coordinator and the United Nations Disaster Management Team
(UNDMT)  have now reviewed priorities and prepared a list of needs for the
short-term, medium-term and medium- to- long- term assistance as
summarised below:

I.  Short-term:  The immediate needs of the population and particularly
those that had to be sheltered or assisted because their houses were
affected in one way or another (over 500,000), were met mostly using the
reserves that the Government of Cuba keeps in order to respond to
emergencies. These reserves, however, are only meant to address very
short-term needs and need to be complemented by other sources. Cuba
continues to need medicines, foodstuffs, and building materials for
housing.

- Medicines:  the priority is for medicines to attend to children,
expectant mothers and elderly people. Medical equipment is also in dire
need in order to equip the medical facilities that were hit and that are
now severely strained with more calls for service in the period after the
hurricane.

- Foodstuffs:  the priority is for cereals, milk and meat products.

- Housing:  the needs are mostly for roofing material and for carpentry
products for windows.


II.  Medium-term: The Office of the UNDP in Cuba has established two funds
to address the medium-term needs of the country:

- The Housing Reconstruction and Recovery Fund has a 10 million dollar
target and is designed to help in the housing reconstruction effort of the
most severely hit communities in the country. This Fund will operate for
12 months and will include a large component of technical assistance on
anti-hurricane building technologies.

- The Food Security Fund, with a target of 1.5 million dollars, will also
operate for 12 months and is designed to assist in the reconstruction and
recovery of the agricultural infrastructure, mostly in the area of
irrigation and urban agriculture. Seeds and fertilizers and other input
needs will also be addressed by this fund.


The Government of Cuba is also requesting assistance for the purchase of
raw materials for the local production of medicines. The Office of the
UNDP in Cuba has established a target contribution of one million dollars
for this area.


III.  Medium-to-long-term:  The greatest medium to long term effects of
Hurricane Michelle will be in the areas of food security, housing, and
energy. In all of these three areas, the UNDP office in Cuba is
encouraging the international community to establish either bilateral or
multi-bilateral programmes of longer duration. The UN community in Cuba
has projects in all of these three areas and all are in need of additional
resources.  All are designed to assist Cuba to reduce its vulnerability in
these areas and through them to strengthen the economy of the country.


3.  Channelling of assistance (short, medium, long-term)

- The Government of Cuba has opened a foreign currency bank account for
donors interested in funding support:

Name: Huracán Michelle
Number: 21918
Address: Banco Financiero Internacional
Calle 18 No. 111 entre 1ra Y 3ra, Miramar,
Ciudad de La Habana - Cuba

- In-kind contributions are best handled in large quantities and directly
with the Government of Cuba.

- The Office of the Resident Coordinator in Cuba can help manage financial
contributions and assist in purchasing and import procedures. WFP and FAO
are important channels in the area of food security and WHO/PAHO as well
as UNICEF in the area of health. All have the capacity to manage resources
locally.

United Nations Resident Coordinator in Havana:
Mr. Luis Gomez-Echeverri
Tel: (53-7) 204-1512, 13, 14, 15   204-2807
Fax: (53-7) 204-1516
E-mail: luis.gomez.echeverri@undp.org


- OCHA is prepared to serve as channel for cash contributions to be used
in coordination/consultation with relevant organizations in the United
Nations system. For banking details please contact the Desk Officer
indicated below. OCHA provides donors with written confirmation and
pertinent details concerning the utilization of the funds contributed.


4.  For coordination purposes, donors are requested to inform OCHA Geneva,
as indicated below, on relief missions/pledges/contributions and their
corresponding values by item.

5.  This situation report, together with further information on ongoing
emergencies, is also available on the OCHA Internet Website at
http://www.reliefweb.int



Telephone: +41-22-91712 34
Fax: +41-22-917 00 23
E-mail: ochagva@un.org

In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10

Desk Officer:
  Mr. E. Haegglund  Direct Tel. +41-22-917 3299

Press contact:
  (GVA)  Ms. Elizabeth Byrs, direct Tel. +41-22-917 26 56
  (NYC)  Ms. Phyllis Lee, direct Tel. +1-212-963 48 32


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