Water treatment plant donated by the United Nations System arrives in Cuba

Havana, October 15^th.- As part of the emergency response in the wake of devastating Hurricane Ian in western Cuba, and particularly in the province of Pinar del Río, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the Resident Coordinator Office (RCO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Cuba combined their efforts for the acquisition of a Kit Watsan No. 5 water treatment plant.

This mobile unit will be transported to Pinar del Río to cover the urgent water and sanitation needs of the people who were more severely affected by Ian, and it will give national authorities the possibility of moving the plant in order to bring up to 15,000 daily litres of purified water to the communities that need it most. This will make regular access to safe water easier for many families.

The plant, which also includes a kit of materials for the promotion of hygiene habits and the response to the most urgent sanitation needs, was supplied in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Investment (MINCEX) and the National Institute of Water Resources (INRH).

Regarding this significant contribution, Ms. Consuelo Vidal, Resident Coordinator of the UN System, remarked, “The United Nations System will continue to redouble actions to aid and strengthen the Cuban Government’s efforts in its response to the emergency caused by Hurricane Ian and in the recovery activities aimed at improving the living conditions of people who suffered damages, specifically those who are most vulnerable.”

This sustainable, long-term solution – the plant has a useful life of 20 years – supports the recovery efforts in affected communities and improves the country’s capacity for recovery in the face of natural disasters.

Note to the editor:

• Close to 3.2 million people in the provinces of Pinar del Río, Artemisa, La Habana and the Isle of Youth special municipality were affected by the severe impact of Hurricane Ian in western Cuba.
• It is estimated that 1 million people require some kind of support. About 636,218 children and adolescents between 0 and 18 years live in the affected provinces, with 223,000 of them residing in the more vulnerable municipalities.
• 47,000 people still lack access to drinking water in Pinar del Río, and this service is brought to the majority of locations by means of water trucks.
• The United Nation System in Cuba supports the recovery efforts with interventions in the Water, Hygiene and Sanitation, Education, Food Security, Housing and Healthcare sectors.