by
José Pérez
@jose_3_perez
Santiago
de Cuba has – for centuries – been a loud and lively city nestled at the foot
of mountains that meet the Caribbean Sea.
Birthplace of people like Desi Arnaz, Rita Marley, and Afro-Cuban
military genius Antonio Maceo, Santiago and its residents are always
vibrant. It is because of this that a
walk around the densely-populated city in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane
Sandy indicated that something was very wrong.
“Santiago is wrapped in a deafening silence of despair,” said Dr.
Alberto Jones of the Caribbean American Children’s Foundation, who grew up in
nearby Guantanamo and had been in Cuba visiting family and friends when the
killer storm hit.
What
Dr. Jones witnessed in Santiago was not limited to Cuba’s second city. He described what he saw in places like
Songo, La Maya, and Guantanamo as “horrifying, devasting, and unbelievable.” Much of Jones’ shock comes, his wife Sylvia
said, from an unexpected sudden strengthening of the hurricane just before it
made landfall in Cuba from a Catagory 1 to a 3. “It was a surprise to all of us,”
said Ms. Jones.
Describing
the damage inflicted on Eastern Cuba as “massive,” Dr. Jones said that
“hundreds of roads are blocked and overflowing rivers have washed away railroad
tracks and bridges” in the area.
“A lack of electricity & telephone services and insufficient
purified drinking wáter,” said Dr. Jones, “are some of the most pressing issues
right now.”
Ventura
Figueras Lores, a reporter in Guantanamo, said that, despite obstacles, “chlorine
and other disinfecting products to purify water for human consumption” are
being distributed for free through the Cuban government’s pharmacy
network. In fact, Dr. Jones and
Figueras pointed out that rebuilding efforts are already underway. “Thousands of men from local organizations
and civil defense forces feverishly
removed fallen trees, electric poles and rubble obstructing roads and highways,”
said Dr. Jones, “as others built alternative routes or strengthened weakened
structures.” Even ordinary citizens like
older adults and children are involved with the process said Dr. Jones.
Ms.
Jones said that this proactive approach to hurricanes is nothing new for
Cubans. “Cuba has the best record in the
Caribbean as far as casualties after storms are concerned,” she said pointing
out that seminars such as a series sponsored by the Center for InternationalPolicy’s Cuba Project for U.S. emergency management officials that study the model
of Cuba’s civil defense and disaster preparedness are proof of Cuba’s successes
in this area. “Everyone knows where to
go, what to do,” said Ms. Jones of the intimate depth of community-based
hurricane readiness. “They don’t wait
for you to evacuate – they come and pick you up.”
In
light of that, the Jones and many others were devastated by the news that 11
people in Cuba alone were killed because of the storm and “the tens of
thousands of roofless or windowless homes, schools, healthcare facilities,
nursing homes, daycares, cultural centers that were partially or totally
destroyed,” said Dr. Jones are “simply heartbreaking.”
“Here,
despite all of the adversity,” said Figueras, “is a real human hurricane.” He explained that this “human hurricane” is
evident by “the people along with the authorities rushing into affected áreas
with help despite the scarcity of resources.”
Indeed, volunteers have been coming into Eastern Cuba from every part of
Cuba to aid with the recovery ever since the all-clear signal was posted. But, still, more help is needed.
“We
are asking every concerned and caring individual to open their hearts,” said
Dr. Jones who has spent more than 20 years directing humanitarian efforts in
Eastern Cuba from his home in Northeast Florida. “We want to get the word out,” said Ms. Jones
about the need for help.
