UN warns US fuel blockade deepening Cuba's humanitarian crisis

The United Nations resident coordinator in Havana warned Thursday that the US fuel blockade on Cuba is driving a deepening humanitarian crisis, with energy shortages escalating risks for millions of vulnerable people nearly one month after the executive order took effect. Francisco Pichon told a virtual news conference that "the blockade still persists, and these humanitarian consequences are really deepening by the day."

Systemic Crisis, Not Temporary Shortage

Pichon stressed that the situation on the ground reflects a broader structural problem rather than a temporary disruption. "What we see on the ground is not a temporary shortage; it is a more systemic energy shock that has become the primary humanitarian risk multiplier. As you know, fuel is not just a commodity in Cuba today," he said. Prolonged outages are undermining essential services across the island, directly compromising water access and affecting households, health centers, schools, processing facilities, and shelters. Food security is also deteriorating as "the entire supply chain from farms to table is disrupted."

Human Toll

Cuba is still recovering from a series of hurricanes, including Hurricane Melissa last October, which affected more than 2 million people and destroyed infrastructure, further narrowing the recovery window. Pichon highlighted the devastating human impact: 5 million people living with chronic illnesses face treatment disruptions, including thousands of cancer patients requiring continuous oncology care, while more than 32,000 pregnant women are exposed to additional risks. "The risk to people's lives are not rhetorical, and those who suffer first and suffer most are the ordinary people, especially the most vulnerable," he emphasized.

Call for Humanitarian Relief

Pichon warned that without relief measures, the crisis could deepen. "Our capacities will be very constrained unless there is a humanitarian carve-out for oil and aid, and of course, that will depend on diplomatic effort that can be pursued with the United States. You know, we have escalated that request," he said. Cuba is facing its deepest economic crisis in decades as Washington intensifies pressure by blocking oil shipments, including supplies from ally Venezuela, driving up food and transportation costs, causing severe fuel shortages, and triggering prolonged nationwide blackouts.