Meeting with UN's Humanitarian Office Signals Urgent Support Needed for Cuban People

On Monday, Mike Hammer, the head of the U.S. Embassy in Cuba, held a significant meeting with Edem Wosornu, the Director of Humanitarian Crisis Response at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The embassy itself described the meeting as "productive."

In an official release by the U.S. Embassy in Cuba, Hammer underscored the dire situation on the island. He emphasized that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has pledged $100 million in humanitarian aid—chiefly food and medicine—to be distributed via the Catholic Church and non-state entities.

"Supporting the Cuban people is urgent," the embassy noted on its official channel. "In addition to the three million already distributed, Rubio has pledged $100 million in humanitarian assistance, primarily food and medicines, through the Catholic Church and non-state entities."

The meeting took place shortly after Wosornu and Altaf Musani from the World Health Organization completed a four-day mission in Cuba. Last Friday, from Panama, they warned that the humanitarian crisis on the island is "becoming increasingly severe" due to prolonged blackouts, fuel shortages, and a lack of medications.

Impact of the Crisis on Vulnerable Cubans

During their mission, the UN team observed dire conditions, such as at a maternal clinic in the province of Artemisa where staff had to manually carry water up stairs due to non-functional pumps during power outages.

Wosornu cautioned, "Without sufficient fuel and additional funding, the most vulnerable—children, the elderly, and pregnant women—will be the hardest hit."

OCHA has issued a humanitarian appeal for $94 million to aid nearly two million people in Cuba. However, it faces a funding shortfall exceeding $60 million just as the Atlantic hurricane season is about to commence in June.

Exclusion of the Cuban Regime from Aid Distribution

The distribution mechanism proposed by Washington explicitly excludes the Cuban regime. Last Wednesday, the State Department formalized the $100 million offer, specifying that the funds would be channeled through Cáritas Cuba and independent non-governmental organizations.

Rubio was adamant: "The Cuban people should know there are $100 million in food and medicine available to them right now, and the only reason they are not receiving it is the Cuban regime."

The precedent for this mechanism was the response to Hurricane Melissa. As of May 8, 82% of the initial $3 million donation had already been executed by Cáritas Cuba, benefiting about 8,800 families in Santiago de Cuba, Holguín, Las Tunas, Granma, and Guantánamo.

Cuban Regime's Response to Aid Offer

Initially dismissing the aid offer as "fable" and "lie," the Cuban regime softened its stance last Wednesday. It announced no "objections to working with the Catholic Church" and expressed willingness to "hear the offer's details."

This shift in attitude coincided with worsening energy issues: last Wednesday, the electrical deficit surpassed 2,204 MW during peak evening hours, leading to blackouts of up to 22 hours in Havana. Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy admitted that Cuba has "absolutely no fuel, no diesel, only accompanying gas."

The OCHA's $94 million appeal, less than a third funded, faces a critical juncture as the hurricane season approaches, further exacerbating the vulnerability of the Cuban populace.