Cuba gets 335,000 hostias from Panama and Puerto Rico to ease shortage

An acute economic crisis on Cuba has led to a severe shortage of hostias, the thin wafers used in Catholic communion. The shortage stems from wheat flour scarcity and frequent electricity outages caused by the U.S. oil embargo. To prevent interruptions to the sacrament, the Archdiocese of Panama organized a humanitarian effort, sending 35,000 hostias produced by nuns at the Monastery of the Visitation. In addition, churches in Puerto Rico dispatched 300,000 hostias, bringing the total aid to 335,000 wafers. The cargo was shipped free of charge by Copa Airlines and arrived in Cuba under vacuum‑packed conditions to withstand the Caribbean climate. Cuban bishops welcomed the aid, describing it as a gesture of brotherly solidarity in response to the dioceses’ difficulties.