Life-saving aid must reach Cuba quickly and without delays, UN warns amid US blockade

Senior UN officials warned Friday of a deteriorating humanitarian situation in Cuba, urging immediate delivery of life-saving aid as power outages strain hospitals and health facilities across the island.

"My call is simple: life-saving aid must reach people quickly and without delays," Edem Wosornu, director of the Crisis Response Division at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told reporters virtually following a mission to Cuba.

"The longer it takes, the weaker and the stronger the vulnerability gets."

"Acting fast and working together is the only way to stop the situation from getting worse. We can't afford another humanitarian crisis. We already have a stretched humanitarian situation on the ground across all sectors," she added.

Altaf Musani, director of emergency health interventions at the World Health Organization (WHO), said neonatal care is among the most vulnerable sectors, and that life-saving equipment depends on a stable power supply that is not currently being sustained.

"Power outages are forcing health facilities to reduce vital services, prioritize urgent care, and limit diagnostic and surgical operations," he said, adding that health care workers and parents alike are being forced to make "impossible choices."

Cuba is facing a fuel crisis amid a US oil embargo imposed on Jan. 30, along with widespread power outages.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly said Cuba is "next" after the war against Iran.