The United States has offered Cuba humanitarian aid for victims affected by Hurricane Gustav, the State Department said Friday. “The U.S. government did inform the Cuban government on September 3 that we are prepared to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to Cuban citizens affected by Hurricane Gustav,” said Joanne Moore, a department spokeswoman. The U.S. government would work “through the appropriate non-government organizations to deliver the relief provisions as quickly as possible,” Moore told reporters. “This is a response to a humanitarian emergency, and the U.S. government has long supported humanitarian efforts on behalf of the Cuban people.” In a newspaper column on Wednesday, former Cuban leader Fidel Castro wrote that the hurricane devastated the Caribbean island and estimated it would take $3 billion to $4 billion to deal with the damages.
