Cuba claims U.S. pressure blocks UN humanitarian aid

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez has stated that more than 7,000 containers containing humanitarian aid intended for Cuba are being prevented from reaching the island. During a meeting with Tom Fletcher, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, in New York, Rodríguez attributed the delay to “pressures and threats” from the United States directed at international shipping companies.

Rodríguez highlighted the daily impact on Cuban families caused by what he described as the “extreme reinforcement of the blockade, the energy siege, and secondary sanctions” imposed by the U.S. government. The Cuban government reports that these containers, held in various Caribbean ports, include food, medical supplies, and resources for the energy and hydraulic sectors.

The United Nations system in Cuba has previously noted the difficulties in transporting aid by sea, which has necessitated more expensive and delayed air shipments. This situation follows decisions by shipping companies such as France’s CMA CGM and Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd to suspend shipments due to expanded U.S. sanctions targeting various sectors of the Cuban economy.