Cuba: Independent experts condemn new US sanctions as humanitarian crisis deepens
UN human rights experts warn US sanctions on Cuba deepen a humanitarian crisis, risking severe shortages in fuel, food, and healthcare, and urge Washington to revoke measures violating international law.
A group of independent UN human rights experts condemned new US sanctions against Cuba, describing them as coercive measures aimed at forcing political change in a sovereign state. They warned that without urgent international intervention, Cuba’s humanitarian crisis could escalate into a severe catastrophe, comparing the situation to the conditions in Gaza. The experts highlighted that the US has progressively tightened unilateral sanctions since mid-2026, including blocking oil supplies from Venezuela and targeting energy companies, which has worsened fuel shortages and disrupted critical services nationwide.
The sanctions have exacerbated Cuba’s existing fuel shortages, leading to widespread blackouts that have crippled energy, transport, irrigation, and basic services. Vulnerable groups, including women, children, older people, and rural farmers, are disproportionately affected by the collapse of these systems. Reports indicate mounting food insecurity, uncollected waste in Havana, and shortages of medicines and cancer treatments in hospitals, as repeated grid failures disrupt healthcare delivery. The experts emphasized that the humanitarian impact is already severe, threatening fundamental rights to health, life, food, and development.
The independent experts criticized a recent US State Department report that labeled Cuba a threat to regional stability, noting the absence of concrete evidence supporting claims of terrorism or subversion. They argued that the sanctions appear driven by political and ideological motives rather than security concerns, violating Article 2 of the UN Charter. The measures are part of a broader strategy that includes the long-standing US embargo on Cuba, which the experts described as a regime-change tactic rather than a legitimate security measure.
The experts called on the US to immediately cease all hostile actions against Cuba’s sovereignty and revoke sanctions that contravene international law. They urged the UN Security Council and General Assembly to address the crisis as an urgent matter of international peace and security, emphasizing the need for collective action to prevent further deterioration of human rights and humanitarian conditions in Cuba.