Hurricane Ian battered Cuba makes rare request to US for assistance as island plunges into darkness

On Friday, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Cuban government had made a rare request to President Joe Biden and his governmentfor assistance after Hurricane Ian tore through the island nation on Tuesday. This comes after years of tensions and amid recent US sanctions imposed on Cuban officials.

The island nation of 11 million plunged into darkness after Hurricane Ian made landfall on September 27, as it also destroyed the country’s agriculture and homes. Meanwhile, Cubans have staged several protests against the government because of power outages, which come amid the ongoing shortages of food, fuel and medicines.

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The report citing a review of communications via email indicated that Washington has assessed that Cuban authorities would prioritise hospitals, water pumping facilities and other critical infrastructure if the US were to provide aid.

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Previously, President Biden had promised to re-engage with Havana after years of tensions between the two countries. However, following Cuba’s crackdown on protests, last July the US placed sanctions on Cuban officials. On the other hand, the Cuban government accused the US of meddling and blamed them for the widespread protests.

(With inputs from agencies)