UN Condemns US Embargo on Cuba for 33rd Year as Hurricane Batters Island

"The vote came as Cuba was battered by Hurricane Melissa, causing widespread damage. We get an update from the eastern Cuban province of Santiago de Cuba with Liz Oliva Fernández, a reporter with Belly of the Beast, who says the U.S. embargo and other economic sanctions make it much harder for Cuba to respond to natural disasters. Nevertheless, it has a robust early warning system, detailed plans for evacuating the most vulnerable and an extensive network of government shelters."

"Nevertheless, it has a robust early warning system, detailed plans for evacuating the most vulnerable and an extensive network of government shelters. Mikael Wolfe, a historian at Stanford University, notes this system is rooted in lessons from early in the Cuban Revolution when another devastating storm killed hundreds of people across the island. The U.S. could learn much from the Cuban government when it comes to dealing with hurricanes, says Wolfe."

"NERMEEN SHAIKH: We end today's show in Cuba. On Wednesday, the United Nations General Assembly voted to condemn the U.S. embargo on Cuba for the 33rd consecutive year, with 165 countries voting in favor of a nonbinding resolution calling on the U.S. to lift the embargo, while seven nations that the U.S. reportedly pressured voted against it, including Ukraine and Israel."

The United Nations General Assembly condemned the U.S. embargo on Cuba for the 33rd consecutive year, with 165 countries voting in favor and seven opposed, including the United States, Israel and Ukraine. The vote coincided with Hurricane Melissa, which caused widespread damage in Cuba. Reporters in Santiago de Cuba say the U.S. embargo and other economic sanctions make it much harder for Cuba to respond to natural disasters. Cuba maintains a robust early warning system, detailed evacuation plans for the most vulnerable, and an extensive government shelter network. Historians trace the system to lessons from an early revolutionary-era storm, and note the U.S. could learn from Cuba's hurricane response.

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