UN warns fuel shortage is pushing Cuba into humanitarian crisis

New York City — Fuel shortages in Cuba are triggering a humanitarian crisis, with the Caribbean nation’s healthcare system approaching critical collapse, according to a United Nations spokesperson on Tuesday, 10 March.

“We remain deeply concerned about the deteriorating situation driven by the inability to import fuel,” said Stephane Dujarric, the principal spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres. “This has sparked an energy crisis,” he added.

The global body is coordinating with member states, including the United States, to ensure that aid can be delivered without obstruction, Dujarric said during a briefing.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that hospital facilities are experiencing frequent power outages, shortages of critical medicines, inability to operate essential equipment, and serious disruptions to oncology care, dialysis services, emergency care, maternal and infant care, cold chain systems, and chronic and non-emergency care.

The office stated that approximately 16,000 cancer patients require radiotherapy, whilst more than 12,000 patients dependent on chemotherapy cannot receive necessary treatment due to power outages and resource shortages. Ambulances are also struggling to obtain fuel, causing delays in emergency care.

According to OCHA, nearly 1 million people depend on water delivered by tank trucks, which require fuel. More than 80 per cent of water pumping infrastructure relies on electricity, resulting in widespread and prolonged service disruptions.

“The food supply chain, from production through storage and distribution, is increasingly affected, with cold chain systems disrupted, transportation routes increasingly obstructed, and declining availability of staple foods across the country,” the office stated.

According to OCHA, humanitarian partners continue to make efforts to assist, but fuel shortages are limiting the operation of food and water trucks, with dozens of containers of aid still waiting at ports.

The US government announced last month that it would allow certain oil supplies into Cuba, but this oil can only be sold to the private sector, not the government. Previously, Washington had banned oil shipments from Venezuela to Cuba.