31 Fijian Students in Cuba are Safe: Lago
All the 31 Fijian students studying in Cuba are safe in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, said Republic of Cuba Ambassador to Fiji Carlos Manuel Rojas Lago.
“All the Fijian students studying in Cuba and all South Pacific students there are safe and are not facing any problems,” Mr Lago said.
Cuba’s population of 11.2 million was hit by the Category 5 Hurricane Irma over the weekend which recorded 10 deaths after over 72hours ravaging through the Caribbean island nation. Cuban state media reported that there had been severe damage to electrical plants, which are concentrated along Cuba’s north coast, but said power had been restored in most eastern provinces — the first to be lashed by Irma’s high winds.
Miami Herald reported that 1,400 educational facilities, 500 in Havana (capital city) alone, had been affected by Irma and the Ministry of Education has not set a date for when classes will resume, but said schools were being cleaned and readied as quickly as possible for the resumption of the school year. Ambassador Lago revealed that there were about 31 Fijian students in Cuba, the majority of which are studying medicine there.
He is also ambassador to 11 other Pacific Island countries.
He said he was in contact with the office of the ministry of education and the ministry of health in Cuba which looks after the welfare of all foreign students. “They have assured us that all the students from Fiji and all the Pacific Islands students are all safe and okay and they are not facing any problems,” he said.
“We have a population of 11.2million in Cuba and there were 10 deaths recorded after the hurricane passed but all were local Cubans.”
Ambassador Lago said they were liaising with the foreign affairs ministry to provide information regarding the students and also to coordinate any relief efforts there.
Cuban President Raul Castro praised the Cuban people for their response to the disaster so far and promised to reconstruct after the damage.
“In these difficult circumstances, of greatest importance is the unity between Cubans, the solidarity between neighbours, and the discipline before the instructions emitted by the National Civil Defence and the Defence Council at every level,” he wrote in a letter to the nation.
Edited by Rusiate Mataika