Havana, Cuba faces water shortage and waste‑burning pollution

A severe water crisis has hit Havana, with residents of Santiago de las Vegas in the Boyeros municipality forced to queue for water trucks and carry buckets to their homes. The shortage has spread to over 500,000 people in the capital and affects roughly 2.7 million Cubans nationwide, exacerbated by power outages that halt water pumping and extensive leaks that lose up to 70 % of the supply. Repairs are underway after a breakdown at the Aguada del Cura facility, and municipal authorities have deployed more than 50 water trucks.

In parallel, open‑air burning of uncollected trash has created a hazardous air‑pollution emergency. Journalist Yoani Sánchez filmed plumes of smoke in the central Vedado district, highlighting that only 44 of 106 garbage trucks are operational and daily waste collection falls short by up to 23,800 m³. Residents across several districts burn waste in protest, releasing carbon monoxide, dioxins, furans and dozens of other toxic compounds. The Cuban Neuroscience Center warned of serious health risks, and officials have declared a public‑health emergency.

Both crises underscore the deteriorating municipal infrastructure in Cuba’s capital and the acute health risks posed to vulnerable populations such as the elderly and children.