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Viewing cable 08HAVANA858, DISASTER DECLARATION FOR CUBA - HURRICANE PALOMA

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08HAVANA858 2008-11-10 21:30 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY US Interests Section Havana
VZCZCXYZ0010
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHUB #0858 3152130
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 102130Z NOV 08
FM USINT HAVANA
TO RUEHWN/AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN IMMEDIATE 0005
RUEHSJ/AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE IMMEDIATE 0024
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3864
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA IMMEDIATE 0169
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