DISASTER DECLARATION FOR CUBA - HURRICANE PALOMA

UNCLAS HAVANA 000858 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CCA, WHA/EX ALSO FOR USAID/OFDA ROB THAYER SAN JOSE FOR USAID/OFDA TIM CALLAGHAN BRIDGETOWN FOR USAID/OFDA JULIE LEONARD USMISSION GENEVA FOR NKYLOH E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID PREL CU SUBJECT: DISASTER DECLARATION FOR CUBA - HURRICANE PALOMA REF: A. HAVANA 744 ¶B. HAVANA 722 ¶1. (U) Hurricane Paloma struck central CUBA on November 8 as a powerful Category 4 storm, the second most powerful November Hurricane on record. Local and international press report significant damage, especially to the town of Santa Cruz del Sur. No casualties have been reported, but the GOC announced that there were no/no deaths connected with Paloma. USINT personnel have no means to assess the damage caused by Paloma directly, but are presently contacting the UN and other offices to get a clearer idea of the level of damage caused by the storm. ¶2. (U) Hurricane Paloma declined rapidly after crossing on to land, and is presently a weak low pressure system located just to the east of Cuba. Though severe, the impact of the storm appears to have been confined to a relatively narrow part of Camaguey province. However, the additional damage caused by Paloma coming so soon after the unprecedented island-wide destruction caused by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike (reftels) will complicate further the GOC's efforts to get the country back on its feet. ¶3. (SBU) In light of this new damage, the Chief of Mission requests an additional $100,000 allotment from USAID/OFDA to be applied to emergency relief for Cuba. After several false starts caused by GOC resistance to assistance of any kind from the USG, with Washington's help we believe we have identified several organizations through which funds can be channeled to support storm relief. ¶4. (SBU) USINT expects that the GOC will once again employ every means possible to ensure that no assistance from the USG arrives on the island. It will continue to be important, therefore, that all discussion of the specific means of delivery of additional assistance be carried out in secure channels. FARRAR