(Reuters) -The Biden administration will provide $2 million to Cuba for emergency relief efforts following Hurricane Ian, the State Department said on Tuesday.
The Communist government of Cuba made a rare request for aid from Washington in September after Hurricane Ian knocked out power to the entire island of 11 million people, killed three people and drove thousands from their homes.
The United States will work with independent organizations to provide the aid, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement.
“We stand with the Cuban people as they work to recover from this disaster,” Price said.
U.S. President Joe Biden has promised to re-engage with Cuba after years of tensions between Havana and Washington. But Cuba’s crackdown following widespread protests on the island last July led instead to sanctions on Cuban officials.
We appreciate humanitarian assistance offer made by the US,” Cuba’s foreign minister, Bruno Rodriguez, said on Twitter.
“This material contribution that is worth 2 million USD, channelled through the International Federation of Red Cross, will add up to our recovery efforts in support of the victims of the ravages caused by #HurricaneIan,” Rodriguez said.
(Reporting by Katharine Jackson and Dan Whitcomb; editing by Tim Ahmann, Rosalba O’Brien and Sandra Maler)
