Venezuela had been Havana’s main oil supplier, but Washington has been increasing pressure on Cuba in recent weeks, including an executive order last Thursday that threatened to impose additional tariffs on countries that sell oil to Cuba, including Mexico.
“I can tell you that The Secretary-General is extremely concerned about the humanitarian situation in Cuba, which will worsen, or even collapse, if its oil needs are not met.”said UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric.
The UN chief noted that the General Assembly has been calling for an end to the US embargo for more than three decades: “The Secretary-General urges all parties to seek dialogue and respect for international law.”
fuel crisis
The fuel crisis has raised food prices for Cubans, caused severe fuel shortages and major power outages across the country.
“Clearly what we see now, especially after the recent events in Venezuela, is a combination of emotions,” said Francisco Pichón, the top United Nations official in Cuba, describing “a mix of resilience, but also pain, sadness and indignation, and some concern about regional developments.”
Thirty-two Cubans were killed in Venezuela on January 3 in the US operation to capture Maduro.
The humanitarian work of the UN in Cuba
Mr. Pichon spoke with UN News from Havana last month, where the power had just gone out in his office. The UN team said the vast majority of Cubans are being affected by rolling blackouts, at a time when the number of people in vulnerable situations has increased significantly.
Even before the latest regional developments, the UN has been working with the Cuban government to incubate ideas and support development, including ways to diversify the Cuban economy.
“Energy transition is a high priority due to reduced fuel access and infrastructure challenges”Pichon said, noting that investment needs remain a bottleneck.
Urgent changes are needed
“The last two years have been quite hard,” he added, stressing that urgent changes are needed to sustain Cuba’s social model “in the midst of severe economic, financial and commercial sanctions.”
Cuba’s economy, which has historically relied on tourism as a key source of foreign currency, was severely affected by the COVID pandemic and remains well below 2018 levels.
As Cuba’s economy has deteriorated, the country’s social indicators – such as universal healthcare, universal education, and extensive social safety nets such as subsidized healthcare and food rations – are under pressure.
“All of this is happening in the context of the US embargo against Cuba,” Pichon said, noting that the United States has also re-listed Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism.
“From the perspective of the UN, Our guiding principles remain unchanged: Be present. To support. Act based on cooperation, respecting international law and the values of the UN..”
Mr. Pichon, as United Nations Resident Coordinator, oversees the work of 23 United Nations agencies, funds and programs. Below is a snapshot of some of the work in progress.
Hurricane Melissa
Hurricane Melissa devastated Cuba as a Category 3 storm on October 29. For the first time in the country, early action was taken by releasing funds from the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), allowing supplies such as water purification units, food, hygiene kits, generators, medicines, and medical and shelter supplies to be pre-positioned.
The UN launched a $74 million action plan to support national recovery and help more than 2.2 million people affected by the storm’s destruction. So far, around $23 million has been mobilized for the million most vulnerable people.
“No lives were lost directly due to the hurricane,” Pichón said, due to Cuba’s strong civil defense capabilities, although recovery needs remain enormous, including the reconstruction of tens of thousands of homes.
Cooperation framework
The long-term commitment of the United Nations in Cuba is supported by a cooperation framework aligned with the National Development Plan of Cuba and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This framework has four key pillars:
- Institutional: The UN supported the development of around 30 laws following the 2019 constitutional reform, promoting equity, inclusion and the rights of women, children, LGBTQ+ people, people of African descent and people with disabilities.
- Economic: It focuses on productive transformation and access to financing amid ongoing sanctions and the inclusion of Cuba on the United States list as a state sponsor of terrorism. Use the SDG Joint Fund, which helps countries pay for projects related to the Sustainable Development Goals.
- Environmental: Disaster risk management and climate resilience are critical, especially given Cuba’s exposure to hurricanes, like Melissa. UN support in anticipation and response seeks to protect lives and livelihoods.
- Social: Social protection systems and attention to differentiated needs with a focus on leaving no one behind, including vulnerable groups such as people living with AIDS, the LGBTI community, children, adolescents, women and older adults, who are a very relevant sector in an aging society.