UN Experts Condemn New US Sanctions on Cuba as Crisis Deepens

UN agencies operating in Cuba have warned of growing food insecurity and shortages of medicines and everyday necessities.

UN human rights experts have condemned recent United States measures against Cuba, warning that expanding sanctions are worsening shortages of fuel, food and medicines as the country struggles with blackouts and pressure on essential public services.

The experts characterised the US measures as an attempt to influence Cuba's constitutional order through threats and coercion, calling for international attention to the growing humanitarian situation. Their statement comes after Washington expanded sanctions affecting important parts of the Cuban economy, including the energy sector.

Fuel Shortages Put Essential Services Under Pressure

Sanctions announced on 23 July included measures affecting energy companies, which the UN experts said have made it harder for Cuba to secure fuel, including supplies needed for humanitarian purposes. The country has faced acute fuel shortages alongside another major nationwide blackout, placing additional pressure on an already strained electricity system.

According to the experts, problems with energy supplies are affecting transport, irrigation and basic services at the same time, with women, children, older people and rural farming communities among those facing greater risks.

Reports of uncollected waste accumulating in parts of Havana have also raised concerns about disease, while prolonged power cuts are disrupting healthcare facilities and other services that depend on reliable electricity.

UN Agencies Warn of Food and Medicine Shortages

UN agencies operating in Cuba have warned of growing food insecurity and shortages of medicines and everyday necessities. Repeated failures of the national electricity grid have disrupted healthcare services, with the experts pointing to shortages of medicines and reduced capacity for cancer treatment as particular concerns.

The experts argued that restrictions contributing to shortages of basic necessities risk undermining fundamental rights, including access to food, healthcare and conditions necessary for life and development.

US Report Describes Cuba as Security Threat

The statement also addressed a US State Department report released on 20 July titled "Cuba: The Capital of 21st-Century Communism," which portrayed Cuba as a threat to US national security and stability across the Western Hemisphere.

The UN experts disputed the basis for that assessment, saying they had not seen concrete evidence in the report demonstrating Cuban support for terrorism or subversive activity. They expressed concern that political and ideological considerations were being used to support continued economic pressure.

Experts Call for International Response

The experts argued that US unilateral coercive measures against Cuba breach principles contained in Article 2 of the UN Charter and should be revoked. They also called on Washington to end threats and actions they consider incompatible with Cuban sovereignty.

The UN Security Council and General Assembly should urgently consider the situation as an international peace and security issue, the experts said, as Cuba's economic and humanitarian pressures continue to affect daily life across the island.