“The fuel restrictions imposed since early 2026 and the recent tightening of extraterritorial sanctions, together, are directly harming Cubans, especially the most vulnerable”said Mr. Türk.
“Children are dying because doctors do not have access to essential medical supplies and medications. This is unacceptable.”
rapid deterioration
Conditions on the island have deteriorated sharply since Washington declared a national emergency in January, disrupting fuel shipments and sending Cuba’s oil reserves into free fall. By mid-May, daily blackouts regularly exceeded 20 hours.
Additional sanctions imposed in May – some with extraterritorial reach, targeting traders, insurers, shipping companies and financial institutions – have worsened the crisis, undermining access to water, food and basic healthcare.
The human rights office, OHCHR, cited alarming figures: infant mortality has doubled to 9.9 per 1,000 births; childhood cancer survival rates have fallen from 85 to 65 percent; and essential medicines are available at only about 30 percent of normal supply levels..
Fuel shortages have affected food production, with Production would have fallen by 60 percent. and the costs of basic foods are rising sharply.
“Indiscriminate and harsh”
Mr. Türk was unsparing in his legal assessment. “Sanctions packages so severe that they target entire sectors of an economy and produce broad, indiscriminate and harsh effects on populations are incompatible with the basic principles of international human rights law,” he said.
Humanitarian operations are also under pressure. Risk-averse private companies are imposing restrictions that go beyond legal requirements, disrupting supply chains and delaying procurement.
The suspension of services by major shipping companies has already affected more than 2,900 metric tons of humanitarian food cargo.
“Cuba faces increasing isolation. The companies leave. Fewer airlines fly to the country. It is almost disconnected from international payment systems.. Rising summer temperatures risk increasing the spread of vector- and water-borne diseases.
‘Respect civil liberties’
“The hurricane season further increases exposure. This creates a perfect storm for social and economic deterioration and suffering for the Cuban people,” Türk said.
It also called on companies to avoid a widespread withdrawal, invoking the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. and urged the Cuban authorities to act with restraint, respect civil liberties and release all people arbitrarily detained..