Cuba: US oil embargo prevents UN aid distribution due to fuel shortage

The oil embargo imposed by the United States on Cuba is preventing the United Nations from distributing 170 containers of humanitarian aid due to a fuel shortage, wrote Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez on X.

"According to the UN, 170 containers of essential goods that have already arrived in Cuba, valued at approximately $6.3 million, are not reaching their intended recipients due to a fuel shortage," Rodríguez posted. He stated that "the US energy blockade against Cuba has a real and serious impact on the population" and "is part of the collective punishment that the US government is inflicting on the Cuban people." He added, "It is not limited to restricting the activity of the Cuban economy. It also limits the work of international agencies and organizations, highlighting its extraterritorial nature."

Since the end of January, Washington has tightened sanctions against Havana. This situation has aggravated the economic, social, and energy crisis that the island has been experiencing for several years. The healthcare system has been particularly affected in recent weeks, with shortages of medicines and hospital supplies.