Cuba - Order of Malta helps with rebuilding after Hurricane Sandy

Cuba: Order of Malta helps with rebuilding after Hurricane Sandy
Posted: Monday, August 12, 2013 11:24 pm

Nine months ago, Hurricane Sandy swept through the Caribbean and the US
Atlantic coast, leaving behind a path of death and destruction. In Cuba,
the hurricane made landfall on 25 October 2012, and although the
population was warned hours before, many were not prepared for the
intensity of the storm. Santiago de Cuba, the country's second largest
city, was directly hit by the storm and suffered the most damages. 11
people died, 185,000 houses were severely damaged, and 15,000 houses
were completely destroyed. Many families are still homeless today.

Malteser International, together with the Cuban Association of the Order
of Malta and the Archdiocese of Santiago de Cuba, is helping rebuild 61
severely damaged homes for more than 300 residents in the most affected
regions. The Order of Malta's worldwide relief agency will supply
roofing and construction materials as well as replace damaged home
furnishings.

In addition, Malteser International will help train the helpers of its
Cuban partners. "We would like to help them develop their knowledge on
the principles of humanitarian aid," explains Michael Thanner, program
manager for Cuba at Malteser International. For this purpose, Malteser
International will conduct workshops on the SPHERE project, an
internationally recognized set of common principles and universal
standards for humanitarian response. "These trainings will serve to
streamline the local helpers' efforts and to provide them with relevant
knowledge about disasters, as they will continue to strike the island in
the future," Thanner added.

Source: Order of Malta

Source: "Cuba: Order of Malta helps with rebuilding after Hurricane
Sandy on Independent Catholic News" -
http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=23109