CUBA sent a message of thanks to Venezuela on Monday for its donation of 5,000 tons of humanitarian aid.

The socialist island is still recovering from the impact of Hurricane Melissa which hit at the end of October.

Although there were no deaths recorded that were attributable to Melissa, the country suffered significant damage to infrastructure.

The illegal sanctions imposed by the United States and its unilateral designation of Cuba as a so-called State Sponsor of Terrorism have also held back its capacity to recover.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel publicly thanked the Venezuelan government on Monday for its support, highlighting the “strong brotherhood between Cuba and Venezuela” and sending a “warm hug to President Nicolas Maduro.”

The shipment dispatched last Saturday involved 102 containers carrying 5,000 tons of aid, with different supplies: 74 containers with food, 28 containers with medicines, drinking water, basic household items, clothing and toys, water storage tanks and electrical equipment.

Venezuelan Vice-Minister for Latin America Rander Pena said the ship will cross the Caribbean Sea, “the very same sea that is being threatened by the US’s military deployment” and added that Venezuela “brings solutions, hope, and infinite love to other peoples.”