UN warns fuel shortages deepen humanitarian crisis in Cuba

Prolonged fuel shortages in Cuba are triggering a widening humanitarian crisis, disrupting health care, water supplies, food production, and education, the United Nations’ top official in the country said on Monday (April 6).

Speaking at a UN press briefing over a video call, Francisco Pichon, the UN Resident Coordinator in Cuba, said the country has gone more than three months without sufficient fuel, compounding vulnerabilities across nearly all sectors of daily life.

“The energy crisis is having a rather systemic and multiplying humanitarian impact,” Pichon said. “It’s affecting health, water and sanitation, food systems, education, transportation, and telecommunications.”

The crisis comes on top of a series of recent shocks, including Hurricane Melissa, two earthquakes in eastern Cuba, and repeated nationwide power outages, he added. These events have unfolded against a backdrop of limited access to financial resources and a challenging external economic environment.

The UN is in discussions with member states to secure fuel supplies strictly for humanitarian purposes. Pichon confirmed that talks are underway between the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in New York and the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, with support from other countries, to enable fuel deliveries to sustain essential services.

At the same time, the UN is working with Cuba’s private sector to expand the use of renewable energy for hospitals and schools, including backup power systems. “Mobilizing energy alternatives is a critical part of safeguarding essential services,” Pichon said, noting a growing private sector focused on renewable solutions.

Production: Aleksandra Michalska/Reuters