UN warns fuel shortages pushing Cuba toward humanitarian crisis

Fuel shortages in Cuba have triggered a growing humanitarian crisis, with the country’s health system approaching a critical point, according to the United Nations.

Speaking on Tuesday, UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said the worsening situation is largely driven by the island’s inability to import fuel, creating a severe energy crisis.

“We remain deeply concerned about the deteriorating situation, driven by the inability to import fuel,” said Dujarric, chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres. “This has triggered an energy crisis.”

Dujarric said the UN is engaging with member states, including the United States, to ensure humanitarian aid can reach the country without obstacles.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the energy shortage has severely affected hospitals across the country. Medical facilities are facing frequent power outages, shortages of essential medicines, and the inability to operate critical equipment, while services such as oncology care, dialysis, emergency treatment, infant and maternal care, and cold-chain systems for medicines have been heavily disrupted.

OCHA said the situation has also affected cancer treatment nationwide. About 16,000 cancer patients who require radiotherapy and more than 12,000 who depend on chemotherapy are unable to receive the treatment they need because of power outages and resource shortages. Ambulances are also struggling to obtain fuel, delaying emergency responses.

The crisis has extended beyond the healthcare sector. Nearly one million people depend on water delivered by tanker trucks, which require fuel to operate. Meanwhile, more than 80 percent of Cuba’s water-pumping infrastructure relies on electricity, leading to widespread and prolonged service disruptions.

Food supply chains have also been hit hard. OCHA said the shortage of fuel is disrupting production, storage, and distribution systems, with failing cold-chain infrastructure and transportation interruptions reducing the availability of basic food items across the country.

Humanitarian organizations are attempting to respond, but OCHA noted that the lack of fuel is hampering relief efforts, with food and water trucks unable to operate fully and dozens of aid containers currently waiting at ports.

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Last month, the U.S. administration announced it would allow some oil shipments into Cuba, but the fuel can only be sold to the private sector rather than the government. Washington had previously banned oil shipments from Venezuela destined for Cuba, a move that has worsened the island’s energy shortage.