UN Warns US Sanctions Cause Humanitarian Crisis in Cuba

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has called for the immediate lifting of U.S. sanctions against Cuba, warning that they violate international human rights law and are causing children to die. Since January 2026, the administration of President Donald Trump has escalated pressure on the island by declaring a national emergency, cutting off oil supplies from Venezuela, and threatening tariffs on any country supplying oil to Cuba.

These measures have triggered a severe humanitarian crisis characterized by daily power outages exceeding 20 hours and a 60 percent drop in food production. Türk reports that infant mortality has doubled to 9.9 per 1,000 births and childhood cancer survival rates have plummeted from 85 percent to 65 percent due to acute shortages of essential medicines. Private sector overcompliance has further disrupted humanitarian aid, including the loss of 2,900 metric tons of food cargo.

The U.S. Treasury Department has targeted President Miguel Díaz-Canel and his family, while a federal grand jury indicted former President Raúl Castro on conspiracy and murder charges related to a 1996 shootdown. Cuban officials, including Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, have labeled these actions as collective punishment. Chargé d'affaires Lianys Torres Rivera stated the sanctions are a pretext for military intervention, a possibility echoed by Donald Trump's stated intentions to take Cuba after concluding operations in Iran.

In response, Cuba has sought aid from Russia, China, and Mexico. Moscow delivered 700,000 barrels of crude oil in March to mitigate the energy blockade. While the U.S. State Department maintains that sanctions do not prohibit humanitarian aid, the UN continues to urge companies to disregard the sanctions to save lives.