Lost production due to internal displacement - Cuba, 2008: Hurricane Ike

Hurricane Ike, the most destructive hurricane in Cuban history, hit the island in September 2008. Ike is estimated to be the costliest storm in Cuba, with material damages alone believed to have cost about $7.3 billion, the equivalent of 12 per cent of the country’ GDP.

This paper assesses further repercussions on the economy, linked to the inability of evacuees and people displaced during and in the aftermath of the cyclone to continue their professional activity. Lost economic production due to displacement in the context of Hurricane Ike is estimated to be $131.7 million, 0.22 per cent of Cuba’s GDP.

This paper is part of IDMC's thematic series "The ripple effect: economic impacts of internal displacement". The series aims to measure the effects of internal displacement on the economic potential of internally displaced people, host communities and societies as a whole, bridging the knowledge gap through innovative research, partnerships with experts and practitioners from a wide range of disciplines and consultations with policy stakeholders concerned with economic development.