Spain will send medical supplies and medicines to Cuba this Friday for the Matanzas fire that has left at least one dead, 128 injured and 14 missing. The incident happened after Havana requested assistance from the European Civil Protection Mechanism, according to an Efe report.
The EU’s Crisis Management Commissioner, Janez Lenarcic, indicated on his Twitter account that Spain’s offer following Cuba’s request for assistance would be sent this Friday, adding that the European Union was ready to help coordinate responses to it assistance requests to help.
the following #Cuba‘s Activation of the 🇪🇺 Civil Protection Mechanism, an offering of medicines and medical items from 🇪🇸, will be deployed on Friday to help the affected people. I express my solidarity with the victims. the #EU stands ready to help coordinate the response. https://t.co/TpmbcsHOXL
– Janez Lenarcic (@JanezLenarcic) August 10, 2022
“I express my solidarity with the victims,” ​​Lenarcic said after the fire that broke out last Friday when lightning struck a fuel depot in the industrial area of ​​Matanzas.
The European Civil Protection Mechanism, in which all EU Member States and six other third countries participate, allows Brussels to coordinate requests for assistance in emergencies where another country’s capacity is overwhelmed and where other governments spontaneously offer assistance.
Since it was set up in 2001, the mechanism has been activated more than 600 times inside and outside the EU, the Spanish agency points out.
Efe/OnCuba.