Vol. 433 No. 5
33 Mr. Power asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the damage caused by the recent storm in Cuba; and if he will provide supplies of medicine, food and other essentials for the flood victims.
Severe storms which hit the Eastern Provinces of Cuba from 31 May to 2 June resulted in the deaths of 12 people. In addition, five people are reported missing. Considerable damage was caused to housing, argiculture and the general infrastructure of the area. We have received a number of reports on the effects of the storms from the United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA), which is continuing to monitor the situation. The DHA has informed us that the Government of Cuba has not, so far, sought international assistance in the aftermath of these storms.
We will continue to monitor developments in Cuba, and in other areas of the world where disasters have occurred, in order to ensure that the Government funds allocated for emergency humanitarian assistance in 1993 are used as effectively as possible for the relief of suffering.
