Cuba: UN issues urgent call for humanitarian aid
The United Nations called upon the international community April 6 to provide immediate support for Cuba amid a worsening humanitarian crisis caused by a US-imposed oil blockade and compounded by the effects of Hurricane Melissa, which struck the country in October 2025.
The UN resident coordinator in Cuba, Francisco Pichon, said the humanitarian situation has reached a critical point following the US oil blockade imposed in January. He added that the population remains in need of urgent humanitarian aid despite an oil shipment from Russia in late March that the US administration chose not to interfere with.
Pichon explained that disruption of the country's electricity system has further exacerbated the crisis, resulting in interruptions of essential services such as health care and water access. Electricity shortages have forced medical authorities to postpone over 96,000 surgeries and delayed immunization for thousands of children. Officials also noted that vulnerable groups, including elderly citizens, people with disabilities, and women, are the most affected by the humanitarian crisis.
Decreases in available energy, combined with the destruction from Hurricane Melissa, have significantly hindered humanitarian assistance from the UN and its partners. In response, the UN has created a targeted Action Plan to address the urgent needs of Cubans, focusing on delivering humanitarian aid in priority sectors such as health care, water, sanitation, and food security.
The Action Plan includes steps to transition toward sustainable energy sources and reduce oil dependence, such as the installation of solar power and the reinforcement of water pumping infrastructure.
Pichon said the UN continues to cooperate with national authorities and the private sector in Cuba to identify logistical solutions that guarantee the viability of aid operations, but that additional funding is still required to fill the $68 million gap in the UN budget.
Cuba has long experienced an economic crisis and energy shortage that have worsened over time due to US economic sanctions and oil embargo, which include the imposition of trade tariffs on third countries that send oil to the island nation. The blockade has triggered an energy emergency, given that Cuba currently relies on imported oil from Mexico and Venezuela.
The UN has condemned the US action, describing it as a “unilateral economic coercion” and a violation of international law.
Amid the tightening sanctions, Cuba has experienced repeated natural disasters, including hurricanes and earthquakes, resulting in significant infrastructure damage, destruction of homes, and the displacement of thousands.
From JURIST, April 7. Used with permission.
See our last report on the crisis in Cuba.
Is the US about to invade Cuba?
Fears of a US military operation in Cuba are rising after Zeteo and USA Today published reports saying the Pentagon is ramping up plans to intervene if Trump gives the order. The reports come days after Trump said the US "may stop by Cuba" after finishing the war in Iran. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose parents are both Cuban immigrants, has held back-channel talks with high-level Cuban officials in recent months but they have yielded little public signs of progress apart from the release of some political prisoners. On April 16, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said at a public event that Cuba doesn’t want a confrontation with the US but remains ready to respond in case of an attack. (TNH)
Growing calls to protect Cuba's sovereignty
Amid speculation about a possible US military strike, and as the severe humanitarian crisis in Cuba continues to worsendue to the US oil blockade imposed in January, the international community is stepping up calls for the island’s sovereignty to be respected. Never a good sign. In a joint statement, Brazil, Mexico and Spain asked for increased humanitarian aid for Cuba and warned against any actions that run "contrary to international law." German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Cuba poses no threat and he did not see "on what grounds an intervention should take place."
Meanwhile, backchannel negotiations continue despite Trump's repeated threats to invade. On April 10, a State Department delegation held talks with representatives of the Cuban government and former President Raúl Castro's grandson in Havana. Axios reported that the US offered to help restore internet services, discussed the need for economic and governmental reforms, and asked for compensation for US residents whose assets and properties were confiscated after the 1959 revolution, as well as the release of political prisoners. On April 21, however, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said that "if the United States refuses to negotiate on Cuba’s terms, there will be no negotiations." (TNH)