Next Steps in Cuba’s Recovery
Leanne Rambali, Contributor
On November 7th, Cuba suddenly found itself drenched in darkness due to the devastating effects of Hurricane Rafael, which left Cuba on its heels Thursday after a fierce Category 3 hurricane ripped across the island, leading to the destruction of hundreds of homes and severe damage to power lines and other crucial infrastructure. This storm comes just two weeks after Hurricane Oscar, which made landfall as a category one hurricane near Baracoa in eastern Cuba before weakening into a tropical storm on October 20th – making clean-up efforts much more difficult. Episcopal Relief & Development is working with the Episcopal Church of Cuba to respond to Hurricane Oscar via any means necessary amid the October power failure that continues to impact the island. Not only has the Church made efforts to provide food, hygiene products, fans, lamps, and supplies, but its journey of support began much earlier.
Few places in the Caribbean are safe from tropical storms, and this isn’t the first time that Cuba has felt the devastating effects of nature. In 2019, the Episcopal Church of Cuba supported installing water purification systems at local churches as communal water access, promoting the Church’s focus on increasing water, sanitation and hygiene and ensuring access to clean and safe drinking water for food conservation. Providing humanitarian relief is only one of the missions of the Church of Cuba. The Episcopal Church is part of the “worldwide Anglican Communion” and “denominational descendants of—and partners with—the Church of England and the Scottish Episcopal Church.
Further rescue efforts are underway to reach those cut-offs. Since 2017, Cuba has suffered nearly annual hurricanes and powerful tropical storms, often impacting the most vulnerable. The last two years have demonstrated an increased rate of creating structures and mechanisms that support multi-level disaster preparedness and response. President Diaz-Canel claims this event has heavily battered the San Antonio and Imias municipalities, and there have been levels of flooding that were not historically recorded in these areas. This solidified the message that the Cuban state would only rest once power was restored.
Despite the devastation, locals remain hopeful with the help of their faith in God. Pastor Aramis Coutin, president of the Eastern Cuba Baptist Convention, recalls being in his church, Que Dios Esta Por Mi, on Sunday morning when the sirens alerted churchgoers to impending danger. In the aftermath, Pastor Cousin’s message to his congregation was simple: ‘God is still good.’
