Slovakia Delivers Food Aid to Cuba in Form of Powdered Milk for Children

Havana/Bratislava, November 20 (TASR) - On behalf of Slovakia, Slovak Ambassador to Cuba Milan Zachar has handed over humanitarian aid in the form of powdered milk for children in Cuba, TASR has learnt from the Foreign Affairs Ministry. The aid was handed over in the presence of a representative of the World Food Programme (WFP). The Cuban government appealed for aid this year due to the deteriorating availability of basic foodstuffs, especially for vulnerable groups including children under seven. Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar announced that Slovakia has made a financial contribution of €200,000 to Havana via the WFP. "Through joint procurement, 40.7 tonnes of powdered milk were purchased and delivered to Cuba in November, along with supplies from other countries and organisations. I believe that our assistance will contribute at least partially towards improving humanitarian conditions, as the situation on the island is critical, in particular due to the impact of recent extraordinary natural disasters," said Blanar. Zachar stated that Slovakia's assistance comes at a critical time, as Cuba is currently facing a challenging energy situation, which, combined with the effects of recent hurricanes and earthquakes in the east of the island, threatens the availability of food. His words were echoed by Cuba's Minister of the Food Industries, Alberto Lopez Diaz, who added that the powdered milk will benefit the communities hit hardest by the climate disasters. lin/df/zel