The Catholic Church organization Caritas started distributing humanitarian assistance from the United States this week in the municipalities of Bejucal and Alquízar, located near Havana. According to Caritas, the aid is intended to reach vulnerable families on the island. The organization stated that food and hygiene kits contain sufficient provisions to meet a family’s needs for ten days, including items such as rice, beans, pasta, canned fish, oil, salt, sugar, and various hygiene products including soap, sanitary items, and oral care supplies. Additional items in the kits include water purification tablets, a solar lamp, a plastic bucket, and laundry detergent.
The shipment, which arrived earlier this week, represents the initial distribution under a $60 million assistance program, with an additional $100 million planned for distribution in the coming months, according to the U.S. State Department. An aircraft carrying 700 packages departed from Miami, and photographs released by Caritas documented volunteers wearing organizational apparel distributing the boxed aid after cross-referencing recipient lists and verifying identification. Cuban authorities were present at the aircraft’s arrival alongside Caritas officials, according to a statement from Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Trade, though the statement did not specify official ranks.
The distribution occurs amid significant political strain between the two countries and amid an energy embargo that the U.S. implemented earlier this year. Jeremy Lewin, representing the U.S. State Department’s Office of Foreign Assistance, Humanitarian Affairs, and Religious Freedom, noted that the current partnership with the church builds upon a program that provided $9 million in direct aid following Hurricane Melissa last year. U.S. officials have expressed concerns about the distribution process, citing allegations of government manipulation and inefficiency, though Caritas has taken the lead role in the operation.
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