HAVANA, Cuba (CMC) - Cuba yesterday said the damage caused by two hurricanes earlier this month could reach US$5 billion and that more than 400,000 houses had been damaged or destroyed by the storms.

A man examines the damage to his house in Havana, Cuba, following Tropical Storm Gustav three weeks ago.

The official Cuban news agency, Prensa Latina, said that preliminary reports indicate that Hurricanes Gustav and Ike were the most devastating in the history of the island and that 440,000 houses had been "partially or totally damaged, including the total collapse of 63,249 of them".

It said the most affected areas were the provinces of Pinar del Rio, Holguin, Las Tunas, and Camagüey, and that the authorities were making special efforts to supply construction materials to alleviate the situation there.

Cuban authorities said that more than 200,000 people would continue to remain in shelters "for a long time" while many others would face "costly repairs".

The agency said that nearly 56,000 hectares of various crops had been destroyed in the western section of the country, while on the Isle of Youth, 80 per cent of poultry farming had been affected.

It said that eight municipalities of Pinar del Rio had reported total loss within the poultry.

"In addition, the hurricanes damaged the national electrical service, with serious affectations in small hydroelectric plants, and communications interrupted. In total, Cuba lost over half million of poultry, and had 2,642 educational centers partially or totally destroyed, as well as several health facilities and seven ports."

The agency said that Cuba, which did not accept assistance from the United states, had been receiving support from many friendly governments.

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