Brazil offers aid to storm-struck Cuba, Haiti

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil offered humanitarian aid to Haiti and Cuba on Tuesday after hurricanes Gustav and Ike caused substantial damage to both nations.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva spoke with Cuban President Raul Castro by phone for nearly an hour, a source in the presidential palace said, and convened seven ministerial heads to discuss how best to help.

Cuban state media has shown widespread destruction across the island.

Marco Aurelio Garcia, a presidential spokesman, offered similar assistance in a telephone conversation with Haitian President Rene Preval on Tuesday. Recent storms have killed hundreds of people in Haiti, where Brazilian troops make up a large part of the U.N. peace keeping force.

The Brazilian government is setting up a task force to organize the shipments of food, construction material and equipment for repairing electricity in the two countries.

(Reporting by Natuza Nery; writing by Reese Ewing, editing by Alan Elsner)