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US not helping Cuba anymore
03/11/2005 21:23 - (SA)
Washington - The United States has cancelled plans to send a team of specialists to Cuba to assess the damage from Hurricane Wilma after Havana tried to convert the mission into a "political dialogue", said the US state department.
Sean McCormack of the department said: "The assessment team offer remains on the table, but we are unwilling to turn a humanitarian mission into a political dialogue on issues not related to providing relief to the Cuban victims of Hurricane Wilma."
After the storm knocked out power and forced the evacuation of some 260 000 Cubans, Cuba on October 27 accepted the US government's offer to send three experts to assess disaster relief needs.
Disaster response
McCormack said: "However, in subsequent discussions, the Castro regime changed the team's mission, limiting their ability to assess the situation of the Cuban people impacted by Hurricane Wilma.
"The Cuban government instead wants to use the assessment team's mission to discuss the Cuban government's vision for regional disaster response."
He said Washington would instead provide $100 000 in storm relief to independent, non-governmental organisations.
Cuba had offered to send 100 doctors to treat victims of Hurricane Katrina, which lashed the US Gulf Coast on August 29, but Washington declined the offer.
Cuban President Fidel Castro, who had been at odds with the US for decades, announced that he had accepted the American assessment team visit last week, describing it as a joint effort by the US, Mexico and other countries in the region to improve disaster preparedness.
- AFP
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