In brief

Hurricanes Ike and Gustav struck Cuba at the beginning of September, just one week apart. Fortunately, the government was able to evacuate the affected region in time, but the hurricanes caused serious material damage and had a major impact on the local population. The situation took a turn for the worse over the last few days with the passage of hurricane Paloma, which also caused extensive damage. 

Following the first two hurricanes, the development projects run by Handicap International in the field were suspended and the organisation is doing everything possible to supply the affected areas with equipment and to support the reconstruction effort. Handicap International's programme director immediately travelled to the affected areas to assess the needs in the field. She was appalled by what she saw.    

Handicap International runs community based rehabilitation and inclusive education projects in Cuba. The three provinces in which the projects operate were affected by two tropical storms, Ike and Gustav. Irène Manterola, the manager of Handicap International's projects in Cuba, travelled to La Palma on Tuesday 2 September, 48 hours after the passage of hurricane Gustav. The hurricane struck the town with full force, with category 4 winds and gusts of up to 340 km/hour.  
 
“It's a truly appalling sight,” says Irène. “There's nothing left. It's difficult to imagine a wind capable of lifting lorries, trees and containers... I visited communities where there used to be around 25 houses. There are just one or two left now, and no shops. The fields have been devastated, and the electric pylons lie scattered on the ground... The villagers trembled as they told me about the hours they spent at the end of their tether, the children crying while the men held onto the doors and window of the shelters, which were being constantly battered by the wind. They lived through those hours without knowing what was happening outside, their only clue was the sound of the wind and destruction. Some people thought it was the end of the world.   
 
One week after Gustav, hurricane Ike hit Cuba at 10 am on Sunday 7 September. It only left the country on Tuesday afternoon, after crossing the entire length of the island. The effects of the hurricane were already being felt on Saturday with heavy rainfall and a rise in sea levels of more than seven metres. The intense rain lasted until Wednesday 10 September.  
 
The hurricane first hit the province of Holguín in the south of the country, with winds of over 200 km/hour before slowly weakening and exiting the island to the north with category 1 winds, following the same path as hurricane Gustav. The entire country is suffering the consequences of the cyclone. The economy, which relies mainly on tobacco, nickel and tourism has been severely hit, and the projects run by Handicap International in aid of people with disabilities have been temporarily transformed into emergency relief operations.  
 
Handicap International is initially focusing on the immediate need for equipment, following assessments on the ground.