Member States briefing on the situation in Cuba

Okay, so we've got our resident coordinator in— on the ground dialing in. Network is sometimes not great. Excellencies, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, this is a briefing on the humanitarian situation in Cuba. Our resident coordinator, Mr. Francisco Pichón, is dialing in. We have the PR of Cuba to my right, and I have my director who's in my team, Victoria Saez Omeika, on my left. She's the one who covers with her team the Latin American Caribbean region. We've got DPRs, PRs in the room. We've also got our UN colleagues here. Our regional director for DCO is here and a whole bunch of other colleagues in addition to our member states. Excellencies, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, I'm pleased to welcome you to the briefing on the situation in Cuba. Allow me to introduce our speakers, which I've done informally already, but His Excellency Mr. Ernesto Céberón Guzmán, Permanent Representative Representative of Cuba to the United Nations. We also have Mr. Francisco Pichón, United Nations Resident Coordinator for Cuba, who's joining virtually. And as I said, my colleague Victoria Sáez Ormeneca on my left, who is the Director for the Latin America and Caribbean region. Before we begin our discussion, allow me to share a few reflections from my recent mission to Cuba. I was there, I think, the first Director of Operations or Crisis Response Division Director visit to Cuba. I was there with the Global Health Coordinator for Health Emergencies, the Emergency Director for WHO, Mr. Altaf Musani, as well as the Pan-American Health Organization's Emergency Director, Mr. Ciro Ugarte. Of course, the Pan-American Health Organization based in D.C., known as PAHO. This visit was strictly humanitarian. As I said, my first visit or a visit of my predecessors hasn't happened before, but there have been visits of OCHA and conversations of OCHA with Cuba when it comes to civil protection. They are part of UNDAC, the United Nations Disaster Assessment Coordination, and the Interag network, but from the operational perspective, the first. It became clear the evolution of the situation in Cuba, and I've often said in conversations in-country and also before I went and when I came back, as OCHA, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, focusing strictly on the humanitarian impacts. So my focus will be on the humanitarian situation. While the country is accustomed to managing Natural disasters, we've got quite a few. There were hurricanes from the names Oscar, Rafael, Hurricane Melissa, as you recall. I did a member state briefing with PR of Cuba, with our— the PR, Deputy PR of Haiti on Hurricane Melissa and the impact, and I know Francisco was dialing in, or maybe you were here, Francisco, I don't recall, at the time. Cuba is used to managing different crises and hazards. What we're seeing here today is beyond the impact of one single event. So it's one— an accumulation, something that is compounded. It reflects the combined effects of repeated climate shocks, ongoing economic constraints due to sanctions, and persistent energy shortages, all of which are placing sustained strain on essential services and complicating the humanitarian delivery. And this is where I want to also focus. I was struck by the resilience of the communities as OCHA and the humanitarian system, my colleagues and I, were interacting with the communities and speaking to affected communities, as well as service providers.

We—

Cuba has a strong history of responding to crises, including supporting others internationally. Now it faces issues servicing its own people, a challenge that is being significantly intensified by current crisis situation. Francisco is sitting in it. I interacted a lot also with the humanitarian— the UN agencies, some of them represented here. The conversation, the word used in Cuba, in Havana, in Artemísima, were slow burn, just having a slowness of a crisis that is compounding, and you could see it firsthand. At the center of the situation is a severe energy crisis affecting nearly every aspect of daily life. I have never been in a carpool in any of my missions. I've been to 30, 40 missions globally in the last 3 years. We were in a carpool. I think it's 20 liters per week of fuel for the UN agency, so we rented a mini van, myself, all my colleagues, the RC, moving around a very deserted Havana. We were pooling cars because we had to get all the fuel together in one bus to be able to move around. At the center of the situation is a severely, you know, as I said, the energy crisis disrupting electricity, fuel, having far-reaching consequences, limited access to water, constraining food systems, and disrupting sanitation, education, health services. These pressures are particularly evident in the health sector. According to information shared with us by the health authorities— we met the Minister of Health and his team— among the concerning trends is the forced postponement of around 100,000 surgeries due to lack of electricity and medicines. I was struck by the number also, and Francisco will go into the details perhaps, of that, some 11,000 children I visited a maternity facility with Francisco in Artemisa Province, just outside Havana. I met families, I interacted unscripted, I spoke to people. Alina was there with her daughter, 37 weeks pregnant. It was in a maternity facility. She described how it's at the 2 or 3 floors because the water pump doesn't work. Staff and health— healthcare providers, as well as those receiving, have to carry buckets up the floor where electricity doesn't function. Basic things like that. When you're interacting with people, they're telling you their daily life. I met Miriam, spoke to her. Her daughter struggled to even obtain the most basic medicines and to travel by foot to treat her anemia. Medicines that would be readily available according to Miriam Bafour. The lack of most essential services, medicines also felt tangible when I visited a pharmacy in Havana. Shelves empty, pharmacists sitting, waiting to see whoever would come in. My colleagues who are with me, the WHO folks, were asking the questions on medical facilities. These are unavailable. Authorities indicated that the availability of essential services, medicines, is currently estimated at only 30% nationally. We visited a pediatric hospital. Only the emergency room and the intensive care unit remained open out of 7 wards due to lack of electricity. So Excellencies, what I saw is as always what I share when I come back. When the women I met— What I saw was extraordinary, right? They asked for basic services, electricity, clean water, medicines, needs to ensure safe pregnancies and childbirth. And actually, I think it was Alina who was sitting there to my left and somebody who looked like her to my right, and I asked if they were related, and she said that was her mother. So Alina, her mother, and her daughter were in the same facility together in solidarity for the daughter who was pregnant. Humanitarian partners are facing serious operational challenges, constraints related to fuel availability, transportation— as I said, we pull vehicles— supply logistics, financial channels affecting the ability to deliver assistance efficiently and at scale required. Beyond these challenges, the humanitarian operating environment is also complicated by sanctions There's a lot of overcompliance, a term I hadn't heard before I went to Cuba, and other considerations are affecting partners' ability to access fuel and essential supplies through international markets. The resident coordinator will provide examples. I'm sure, Francisco, you are there and you live this every day. This situation is especially concerning as we have already started the hurricane season and Cuba has very limited capacity to absorb additional shocks. The response to Hurricane Melissa, and I thank all the support we received as UN and our partners, and there again Francisco will go through the details. I saw some of the residual impacts of Hurricane Melissa on the ground while there. Limited capacity to absorb additional shocks. With the onset of the summer period, elevated temperatures and reduced access to water, sanitation, Hygiene services are expected to further increase public risks. Again, I'm cutting my speech short so that we hear also from Francisco. I want to share also the experiences I had while on the ground. Of course, I interacted with all the partners. I interacted with NGOs, with UN agencies, with government officials. My message, the same. The situation getting intense. I met, of course, the members of diplomatic corps. 25 or so ambassadors in one sitting, one ambassador in another sitting, 24 or so. And then I met the charge d'affaires of another embassy, having conversations. This is what I do every time I'm on the ground, just to get a sense from the different perspectives what is happening on the ground. Excellencies, you know the— we put out under the leadership of the RC and the colleagues on the ground, the plan of action. Speaking, $94 million, targeting 2 million people. That was the sort of impact of different accumulated emergency situations from the hurricanes through the energy crisis. It reflects joint analysis, prioritization of critical needs, targeted and principled approach to ensure effective delivery of services. Only 33% of this funding, approximately $31 million has been secured to date. Of course, we have gaps in the response, but when we say only, without the member states and the donors in the room, we will not be able to have anything at all. So I appreciate the support and the funding that has gone through. Of course, the Fund for All by All, the Central Emergency Response Fund, is also featured in this. We will explore these issues further in our discussion. Before we proceed, a few housekeeping. The event is being streamed live on UN Web TV. I kindly ask speakers to please put their mics on when they are speaking and off when they are not speaking. Let me pass the floor to— first, I believe it's Francisco, protocol-wise. Okay, before I come to you, Ambassador. So, Francisco, why don't I give you the floor? You've got a short presentation. And over to you, and thanks for your leadership on the ground. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Adam, and colleagues, and thank you so much for your interest in this briefing from OCHA and also from the UN Country Team on the ground in Cuba. And I'd like to start by saying that what we are witnessing today in Cuba is no longer simply an energy crisis, but it's really a situation that has evolved into a growing humanitarian emergency that is affecting millions of people every single day. Now it has been over 2 months since we launched our action plan that we call our Action Plan in response to the energy contingency and the ongoing impacts of Huracán Melissa. And we call it that way because action plan designed in response to the impacts of Huracán Melissa last year that affected 2 million people. The plan has a target of 1 million people, and then we restructure this plan incorporating energy as the central axis of the response to support humanitarian needs and safeguard vital services. Unfortunately, since the plan was launched, the conditions really have not stabilized, and in fact, they have deteriorated across virtually every sector. So today, basically, I'd like to focus on 3 things. One is where the situation stands. Second, what the humanitarian community is being able to deliver and exactly where we need the support of member states. So first, I want to say that the energy crisis really remains the main multiplier of humanitarian risk. Since the beginning of the year, no new oil shipment has reached the country for the regular distribution and use in the national power system, with the exception of a single Russian shipment in April, which covered roughly about 2 weeks of the demand. As a result, the power outages have reached unprecedented levels. Even in Havana, daily blackouts now exceed over 20, 22 hours, including in my own residence. And in many other parts of the country, these power outages can last more than a day. And it's important to understand how this has dramatically transform normality, normal life for Cuban families, because in a way night has become days. People are cooking at dawn, are storing water at night, and are really reorganizing their lives around the few hours when electricity is available. So energy is really the factor that is driving the humanitarian needs across health delivery, water and sanitation, food systems, transportation, communications, and the humanitarian themselves. So these are some of the, some of the main impacts that we have recorded, and the consequences are really visible everywhere and are increasingly alarming. As you have heard from Adam, there is a long waiting list of surgeries covering around 100,000 patients, of which 12,000 are pediatric procedures. Also, it has been reported that infant mortality has doubled to 9.9 in 1,000 live births, and the survival rates of children with cancer have fallen from 85% to 65%. So, I mean, the health impacts are quite dramatic, and if you think of people, about 110,000 senior citizens who suffer of cancer and millions who have chronic diseases who are struggling to access treatment and essential medicines, you see that this emergency is already costing human lives. It has also reported that about 30% of the essential medicines are available in the country. And just quickly, I mean, in other key sectors like water and sanitation, this— we know that 2.7 million people are being affected by water shortages because water pumping runs on electricity mostly in Cuba, and the national water system is functioning with available fuel at 37%. In terms of food security, also is severely impacted. Obviously, fuel crisis affect agricultural production. Lack of refrigeration increases post-harvest losses, and as a result, you have, you know, more food losses, less food available, and higher prices. Also, a recent study this week discusses the mental health condition of the population, in particular the children, the elderly, and also caregivers. Cuba is one of the most aged countries in Latin America. About 25% of the population are 65 years and older, and elderly vulnerable, disproportional vulnerable group. And this story discusses the impact that the population has experienced as physical, emotional exhaustion from the daily survival that people are having to face. Also, I want to say a lot of social protection services like school feeding programs and care centers for the elderly are also very severely being impacted. The school year has been reduced by, you know, due to the fuel crisis. The university admission exams have been canceled. So a range of impacts across, across the board, which are quite, quite concerning. And this obviously is happening at the beginning now this week of the hurricane season. And you've— and with the high temperatures, you start seeing the conditions for a perfect storm of health risk. With waterborne diseases and vector-borne diseases, putting pressure in a health system that is already stretched by the basic demands. And finally, on the health sort of needs and consequences, I want to say that this crisis also follows years of accumulated shocks. Huracán Melissa last year, Huracanes Oscar and Rafael in 2024, drought, and also an economic context where the country's economy has contracted by 15% in the past few years, and the projection for 2026 is 6.5% decline in the economy, all happening while the country is losing access to revenue from tourism the export of medical services, all within a long-standing context of sanctions and the restrictions of international financing mechanisms. So now we— this is basically the, the basic structure of our action plan. Um, it seeks about $94.1 million. Uh, you see the UN agencies that are leading efforts across different sectors: logistics, water and sanitation, health, food distribution, shelter and protection, education, and an important working group on energy. The target of the plan is 2 million people from about 4.2 million affected. And you can see in the map the, the focus on the eastern part of the country as the area still recovering from Huracán Melissa, where we have the most systematic vulnerabilities. Next slide, please. So this is the situation quickly on the implementation. As Edem said, about a third of the funding has been secured. We also— I like to highlight the contributions that the UN agencies have made from their own resources. And obviously we are reporting the contributions in the financial tracking system, which we encourage donors to use and to report to ensure really a proper picture. But you can see a list of donors, the importance of the contributions of ECHO, from the European Union, from SERV, for, for Urukamélisa, and a number of countries that are involved providing support to the various sectors. So despite the constraints that we face, which I will address next, I'd like to say that the— if we can go back to the earlier slide— the outreach that we have already is quite significant. We have reached about 1 million people on the health, for health services, about 770,000 with water and sanitation solutions, and also we have reached about 900,000 people with food assistance. And so, but we also have quite significant gaps on the various sectors, particularly logistics, water and sanitation, health, food and nutrition. So this is sort of the situation of the plan. And now I want to say a little bit about the operational challenges that we find. Next slide. So basically, the biggest obstacle we face today is access to humanitarian fuel. And the United Nations has established an accountability and traceability mechanism that has been developed by our colleagues from the World Food Programme. But suppliers and intermediaries more recently are becoming reluctant to engage with us because of concerns related to sanctions and over-compliance. So, but I want to say the challenge extends beyond fuel because we see the impacts of the recent executive orders on corresponding banks, on shipping companies, with logistical providers, and other private sectors are increasingly avoiding transactions connected to Cuba, often applying restrictions that go beyond the legal requirements because of risk aversion and overcompliance. And as a result, this is all reducing our humanitarian space. As a result, you know, quite concretely, we have 2,900 metric tons of food that at the moment are delayed to reach Cuba, and we have very high operational costs And they continue to rise in the current environment. We are, of course, adapting in whatever way possible. We are working with the very emerging private sector and private actors in Cuba. We are working with partners within the country, but also outside the country, with different type of providers, and always seeking new fuel sources. But these measures really can't go so far because the scale of the challenge requires broader and I think higher-level solutions in order for us to really operate at the scale that we require. But despite those challenges, we are implementing the plan and we have reached significant numbers of people in need. Now finally, what we ask really member states— allow me to conclude with these three requests. First, I think it's important for us to have your support in helping the United Nations to preserve the humanitarian space. The humanitarian actions really depend on practical access. So we encourage member states to reaffirm the humanitarian principles and to help clarify that legitimate humanitarian transactions remain permissible. Second, I think, is the support for Resources for the plan and also for fuel are both very important. I think the funding gap remains substantial, about $60 million. The fuel shortages continue to constrain our operations, and both are urgently needed. Funding without fuel cannot deliver life-saving assistance. And fuel without resources cannot sustain our interventions. But, and I think this is very important, we need to secure practical assurances from member states that the UN can access fuel at scale unimpeded, which means that it can reach Cuba, for humanitarian operations. I like to say that millions— that this is a very critical aspect because I think what the UN system in Cuba is able to do is something that we are now adapting and doing our best, but much more needs to happen at the broader level and facilitation at the higher level. And finally, I'd like to say that we need to stand in solidarity with the Cuban people because millions of people are facing a crisis that continues to deepen while their capacity to cope is diminishing. And I think the longer the fuel blockade continues, the deeper and potentially the more irreversible the humanitarian damage will become. And we ask, therefore, member states to help us to keep, to keep this situation in Cuba visible, to support the humanitarian response. And to facilitate the practical operational measures that are needed for the assistance to reach those who need it the most. Our work here is not about politics. Political differences can be resolved among member states. Our work here is about humanitarian action, and humanitarian action has to do with the rights of people to life and dignity. So, sustained humanitarian operations depend on minimum and predictable fuel and energy access. And therefore, a UN-led fuel initiative offers in this moment the most viable pathway to support the implementation of the action plans that we have launched among go at the scale that is needed. Thank you. Thank you very much. Saving lives cannot wait.

Thank you so much to the Resident Coordinator, Mr. Francisco Pichón. I now hand the floor to His Excellency, Mr. Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, PR of Cuba.

Thank you, dear Adem. Dear Adem Bozon, Director of OCHA's Crisis Crisis Response Division, dear Francisco Pichón, Resident Coordinator, distinguished participants. I appreciate the opportunity to address you today. I also wish to thank the Director of OCHA's Crisis Response Division for her detailed briefing and also for the briefing already made by the Resident Coordinator. The complex humanitarian situation Cuban face today has a direct cause: the inhumane policy of collective punishment imposed by the United States against my country. There is no other way to describe the economic siege, including on fuel supplies, to which Cuba is being subjected today without any justification. We are confident that the working visit carried out by OSHA together with the Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization to our country in early May 2026 allowed them to witness firsthand this difficult reality, as well as the enormous effort undertaken by our authorities to overcome the current situation. For more than 65 years, the essence of U.S. policy toward Cuba has remained the same: to provoke hunger and despair in order to overthrow our government. That object led to the implementation of a criminal economic, commercial, and financial blockade against my country which has always been extraterritorial in nature and has been overwhelmingly rejected by the international community for many years. In recent months, there has been an unprecedented escalation of threatening statements by the United States government against Cuba, together with unfounded accusations used as a pretext for the implementation of new coercive measures and suffocating measures against the Cuban people. Such as the executive order of January 29th and May 1st, which significantly escalate the aggression by expanding and qualitatively hardening the extraterritorial nature of the blockade. For this, for the first time, this measure incorporates the application of secondary sanctions against entities from third countries that operate or have operated with Cuba. The growing material and human impact of the extreme enforcement of the economic blockade resulting from the measures imposed this year amounts, in practice, to an almost total siege of the Cuban economy and its disconnection from the international economy as a means of expanding and intensifying the collective punishment imposed on the Cuban people. While the U.S. government adopts such measures to suffocate the Cuban economy, it cynically blames the Cuban government for the devastating consequences of this economic war and its impact on the well-being of our people, the exercise of their human rights, and the recovery of our economy. It must be stated clearly that these extreme measures are today causing serious and growing humanitarian harm, as just described by the Director-Ad Interim today. This is reflected, for example, in the deterioration of well-established health and nutrition indicators, Cuba's infant mortality rate, for instance, has doubled, meaning that newborn Cuban children are dying as consequence of the extreme tightening of the blockade. The life expectancy rate of Cuban children diagnosed with cancer has also declined. From a survival rate of 18%— 85%, it has fallen to 65%, meaning that Cuban children suffering from cancer are dying because of the lack of equipment and modern pharmaceutical technologies, many of which are produced only in the United States. This situation has also resulted in a growing waiting list of more than 100 patients, like Director mentioned already, requiring surgery who have not been able to receive treatment due to the energy crisis, including more than 12,000 children. It also placed more than 32,000 men and women at risk because of fuel shortage and the inability to access timely diagnostic service. It directly affects an education system that cannot function normally due to the severe fuel shortage in a country that have received only one of the 40 fuel shipments required for its normal operation in the first month of the year. It also translates into prolonged blackouts and disrupted public transportation that cause hardship and distress among our population. These facts are not mere statistics. They reflect the suffering of an entire people. These humanitarian consequences are not what U.S. authorities cynically describe as collateral damage. They are not collateral at all. This is a deliberate and profoundly cruel policy aimed at creating extreme conditions and depriving the Cuban people of the means necessary for life. Despite all of these challenges, we will prevent a humanitarian crisis in Cuba. We are a conscientious, educated, and courageous people, with highly qualified human resources and strong universal systems of education, healthcare, and science. We count on our people's determination to overcome and move forward, remain firm even under the most difficult circumstances. We firmly believe in the rule of international law and in the peaceful settlement of disputes, and we will remain engaged in dialogue with the government of the United States despite the inconsistency, lack of seriousness, and the contradiction between what it said and what it does. We will do so despite persistent threats expressed through official statements at the highest level, base coverage by powerful technological, technological platforms, media outlets and the constant dissemination of slanderous information across digital networks. Dear colleagues, while appreciating the unwavering support of the United Nations, OCHA, and the Office of the Resident Coordinator in updating the UN Action Plan for Cuba adapted to our country's current complex situation, we would also like to take this opportunity to thank member states, international organizations, and other partners who have already contributed to the implementation of this plan and continue to do so. Your support is highly valuable as it directly contributes to well-being of our people. At a time where the United States continue to issue clear and direct threats of military aggression against my country, Cuba's response remains firm. We will not be intimidated. We will overcome. Thank you very much.

Thank you, PR of Cuba, Mr. Guzmán, and thank you to the Resident Coordinator in Cuba. Obviously, as the Resident Coordinator highlighted, and we'll make sure you have the plan of action and where we are, which sectors are funded. Before I pass the floor, Excellencies, this, of course, briefing is to focus on the humanitarian impact of the situation in Cuba. If I could remind all of us that it is a humanitarian briefing. We have a list of speakers. My team, as usual, try and give me who's coming into the room and who speaks at what point. We've got about 7 or 8 speakers, so I'll give the floor first to the USA, representative of the US. We'll move on to the representative of Vietnam, please.

Thank you very much, and let me start off by thanking you, OCHA, for organizing this, and I thank the RC as well for the briefing, which was of course very sobering on the humanitarian situation in Cuba. It is to me very depressing and concerning to hear this briefing and also get constant updates from my own embassy in Havana on the situation there, the crisis that is unfolding for the Cuban people caused not by internal factors but rather by, well, nature— Melissa last year— and also by the compounding impacts of decades of embargoes. Against Cuba. This is, of course, as we have heard, affecting the daily lives of ordinary people, from children, women, older persons, and in particular, of course, the vulnerable communities that are struggling to get access to essential services and facing increasing humanitarian needs. In that context, we, of course, welcome the UN system's action the plan for Cuba, and I also heard from the RC previously about how we have just started with the plan when Melissa hit, and that was, I think, the first meeting that I attended hosted by OCHA and talk about the impacts on Cuba, and unfortunately, While we have not really seen much progress on implementation of that plan, we are now seeing compounding impacts of other problems on Cuba. But I do have to commend the efforts undertaken by the UN agencies led by the UNRC on the ground and other humanitarian partners, and also, you know, appreciate the contributions from many of us around the table here today. We continue to call on the international community and to all who are in a position to do so to strengthen our solidarity with Cuba and to continue to provide timely, practical, and flexible support for Cuba to ensure that humanitarian assistance does reach those in need swiftly and, in particular, without politicization. I think this and the actions in this regard really captures the essence of humanitarian action. Even modest assistance when delivered at the right time can bring hope and make a meaningful difference. On our part, last year the Vietnamese people, through a process of mobilization, contributed $23 million in support of Cuba. The government of Vietnam is also continuing our efforts to support Cuba within our own means by providing rice, food, and also supporting agricultural development and building solar power plants in Cuba in order to help ease the impacts on Cuba. I am confident that the resilient country and The people of Cuba are not alone in this difficult time. We continue to stand with you and we will continue to work with the United Nations in that regard.

Thank you very much. Thank you, Ambassador, for your support and for your points on the humanitarian response and where we are in contributions accordingly. I now pass the floor to Representative DPR of Russia, who has just stepped away. I'll be moving on to the Representative of Belarus. And then I'll be moving on to the representative of Netherlands. And then to—

Thank you. I'm in the back. Thank you, Ms. Osorno. I somehow ended up here, so sorry for that. Thank you. Thank you to OCHA for organizing this briefing. The Kingdom of the Netherlands is concerned over the humanitarian situation in Cuba. I'm saying this as a UN member state, but also as a neighbour in the region, as 3 of our constituent countries are located in the Caribbean, of course. We continue funding the UN and other humanitarian organisations, including through significant unearmarked contributions, and these also include contributions to the Dutch Red Cross, which has links to the Cuban Red Cross as well, and which has supported, including in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, and of course through our support to EU funding as as well. I would like to use this opportunity to ask a few questions, if I may. We've seen the recent news on US funding as well for the humanitarian efforts in Cuba. I was wondering if there's any update to the status of that funding. Mr. Sornin, you mentioned that there's also a role of CERF in the response, and I noticed this as well in the slides presented by the Resident Coordinator. I was wondering if you could detail a bit more about that and also about the UN-led fuel initiative, which was mentioned in your presentation. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Thank you to the representative of the Netherlands, who will come back on those points. Now, I'll hand the floor to the representative of Brazil.

Thank you, SG. Thank you very much for the briefings provided by you and the resident coordinator, Mr. Ambassador. Colleagues, Brazil expresses its deep concern over the worsening humanitarian situation in Cuba, particularly the severe constraints affecting fuel and stemming from that so many other needs. We reiterate our longstanding and principled opposition to unilateral coercive measures, which we believe to be inconsistent with international law and have deleterious, deleterious effects on civilian populations everywhere. Such measures, as we see in the case of Cuba, restrict access to essential goods, services, and medication to civilians, to individuals, —quite often not achieving the political results they aim at. Humanitarian needs must never be instrumentalized for political gain. The provision of assistance must be guided solely by the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence—and must respond to the needs of the population without any discrimination or conditionality. We reiterate our solidarity with the Cuban people and government at this difficult moment. We have sought to show our solidarity in concrete ways by providing food, medicines, and other essential items with the aim of protecting the Cuban population from further hardship. We reaffirm our commitment to supporting further efforts aimed at alleviating human suffering, strengthening resilience, and ensuring access to essential services. I thank you.

Thank you to Representative of Brazil, and thank you for your points on support to the people of Cuba. I will give the floor to the Representative of the Russian Federation. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much for this briefing. We are here, of course, to confirm that we're deeply concerned by The humanitarian situation in Cuba, which continues to deteriorate, and recent actions by Washington, including further restrictions on fuel supplies and broader economic and financial limitations, have significantly aggravated the already fragile situation, placing unprecedented pressure on the Cuban people, who entire Cuban people. The consequences on the ground are severe, as we heard today, another confirmation of this, and Cuba is experiencing a profound energy crisis due to reduced fuel availability, widespread blackouts, disruptions in transportation, constraints on essential services, critical sectors such as Healthcare, water supply, and food distribution are being heavily affected. We hear it today as well. And hospitals are struggling to maintain operations. Surgeries have been delayed and vaccination programs disrupted. Access to clean water is increasingly unreliable, and vulnerable groups, including elderly persons with disabilities, and children are bearing the heaviest burden. It is evident that unilateral restrictive measures have a direct and negative humanitarian impact. Civilians should not pay the price for geopolitical tensions. Such measures lack both moral and legal justifications and run counter to the principles of international law and the UN Charter. We also recognize that the UN Secretariat is also recognizing this fact about the unilateral restrictive measures. And we reaffirm our solidarity with the people of Cuba, and we will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to those in need. Once again, we stress that dialogue based on mutual respect and equality remains the only viable path forward. So we call on all parties to refrain from actions that may further escalate tensions and to prioritize humanitarian considerations. Urgent coordinated international efforts are needed to ensure access to energy, healthcare, food, and other essential services for our brotherly Cuban population. Thank you for your attention.

Thank you to the representative of the Russian Federation. I now hand the floor to the ambassador of the US.

Thank you, and I thank you, uh, Ms. Wolshyniuk, for your briefing. I want to start, uh, by reinforcing what Secretary Rubio, uh, has repeated before. The United States stands with the people of Cuba. Period. Stop. No question. And I say that proudly myself as a native Floridian with many, many Cuban Americans as neighbors and friends and colleagues. What the United States does not stand with is the communist regime that has failed them, that has jailed them, and that has stolen from them. We stand like so many Cuban patriots yearning to be free for their dignity, for their liberties, and for their freedom. Since the October 2025 hurricane, just last year, the United States has provided $9 million in humanitarian assistance that goes directly to the Cuban people, not through Havana's corrupt hands. We are now offering an additional $100 million, a $100 million package of humanitarian assistance. And despite the rhetoric you've heard today, that includes food, it includes hygiene, it includes water treatment supplies to be distributed directly to the Cuban people through the Catholic Church in full coordination and other reliable institutions. Again,, not through the corrupt communist regime. We are also permitting fuel deliveries. I'm quite surprised, uh, to hear my colleague from Russia mention, uh, his concern for the fuel supplies. We've allowed, uh, ships from Russia to deliver fuel, uh, most recently, and of course do so on a humanitarian basis. We've allowed fuel deliveries from the United States to private entities not affiliated with the regime. Colleagues, you are hearing a theme today. Many of us have heard for many decades. But this humanitarian provision is what America does. We deliver help to people in need all over the world, including to the people of Cuba. We do not write blank checks to dictatorships. Why? Well, let's talk about the real reason The actual reason Cubans don't have electricity, fuel, or food, it's not because of the embargo or because of a, air quotes here, oil blockade, which is untrue and fake. That is the tired excuse Havana has been selling for many, many decades. The truth is much simpler, but harder to swallow. Cuba is suffering because the regime chose failed communist economics, is incompetent, and the massive corruption that it has enacted on its people over their basic needs. The Miami Herald in Florida has reported the regime's state-owned enterprise, GAESA, and its subsidiaries have looted at least $18 billion from the Cuban people, money that should have gone to fuel and hospitals, medicine, and power. Instead, it's gone to regime elites, luxury hotels, security services, and the machinery of repression. This extends to fuel in Cuba as well, which is systematically controlled by the regime for the security services and not to the benefit of the Cuban people. Now we are facilitating fuel arriving to the Cuban private sector, the very small private sector, but we are creating independent access to and distribution of fuel. Every gallon that reaches a private farmer, a small business, a church, or a clinic is one less gallon the regime can weaponize against its own people. Colleagues, the Cuban regime must make economic— immediate economic and political reforms. We are asking very simple things. Open the economy. Free political prisoners. Stop treating private citizens as a threat. Stop blaming America for the misery produced by Havana and their failed policies. Every year, the Cuban regime tries to convince the Cuban people and the international community, right here in New York and elsewhere, that it is blameless for the chronic failure of Cumbres. Economy. No one should buy it, not in this chamber, not in the General Assembly, not anywhere. Colleagues, the Cuban regime is one of the worst human rights abusers in the world. For more than 60 years, it has crushed dissent. It has censored speech. It has jailed political prisoners. It has driven families into exile that have tried to escape in the most horrific conditions. And it has turned an island 90 miles from America into a prison for its own people. And the suffering will continue until the world stops giving Havana diplomatic cover and starts telling the truth. The regime conspires and collaborates with enemies and adversaries of democracy. It has supported the war. It has supported Russia's war in Ukraine. It is including— including by allowing thousands of mercenaries to fight for the Russian army. It is hosting Chinese surveillance facilities. It is providing support for terrorist organizations, and it is undermining other democracies in the region. This is a hostile regime that exports repression. It props up America's adversaries, and it invites them into our hemisphere. And it is for this reason that President Trump declared Cuba a threat to U.S. national security in his executive order of January 29, 2026. So here's the choice before member states today. You can stand with the Cuban people, or you can keep lending your vote to the regime that broke their country, but you can't do both. And we ask all member states to stop voting for the regime's annual anti-embargo resolution in the U.N. General Assembly. Insist that humanitarian assistance goes directly to the Cuban people, not to the hands of the regime, and publicly call for real, long overdue economic and political reforms. The Cuban people do not need more propaganda from Havana, particularly not here at the UN. They need food, they need fuel, they need medicine, electricity, and freedom, and a government that finally hopefully stops stealing their future. Thank you, Madam.

Thank you to Representative of the US. There was a question from the Representative of the Netherlands on the US funding to Cuba. I think the US Ambassador has responded to that question. I'll come back on the questions on CERF and I'll come back on the questions on— I think Resident Coordinator also come back on the humanitarian impact as well. Representative of EU is next. Thank you.

Excellencies, colleagues, thank you very much for the briefing today and for OCHA for convening us. I'll be quite brief. The EU remains engaged in providing humanitarian assistance to the Cuban people, including €6 million already allocated in 2006 to address the most urgent needs, uh, and we remain ready to increase the support if necessary. We've already done so once this year. This funding has already contributed to logistics support directly to humanitarian partners, including addressing difficulties on the distribution of food and drinking water. I want to thank all our partners engaged in this response and underscore that humanitarian access and support must remain protected under all circumstances.

Thank you. Thank you, sir. Representative of the EU. I've just been told the representative of Namibia is here as well, wants to speak.

Right, uh, thank you so much for giving us the floor. Uh, Namibia thanks the, uh, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs for this briefing and appreciates the information shared by the UN Resident Coordinator on the ground in Havana. Namibia is deeply concerned about the unfolding humanitarian situation in Cuba that has impacted the lives of the people of Cuba, uh, thus far. Namibia strongly endorses the UN Oil Initiative an emergency action plan for Cuba. We fully back the UN's push for humanitarian exemption to allow oil imports exclusively for public infrastructure, because blocking such fuel for basic services violates international norms. The punitive measures, unilateral coercive measures targeting third-party oil suppliers to Cuba are unacceptable and unfortunate. As they deliberately inflict human suffering. The right to life, right to food, right to health, and all fundamental human rights must not be curtailed, but must be fully protected and promoted by all. For Namibia, a nation that is born out of a bitter struggle for freedom against apartheid and colonialism, sovereignty is sacred. Sovereignty and independence are the hard-won rights of a people to determine their own destiny, manage their own wealth, and govern their own land without external interference. Yet for 67 years, the friendly government and people of the Republic of Cuba have been under unjustified economic, financial, and commercial a blockade by the United States. This blockade is contrary to international law and the Charter of the UN, the UN which was created amongst others to develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of people, peaceful settlement of disputes, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace. So we call for the lifting of economic sanctions on Cuba, as well as for the respect for the sovereignty and self-determination of the Cuban people. We therefore also call and urge all nations to support Cuba's rights to development.

I thank you. Thank you to the representative of Namibia. I now hand the floor to the representative of Nicaragua.

Thank you for giving me the floor. Nicaragua thanks OCHA for the timely convening of this meeting to address the humanitarian situation facing the sister Republic of Cuba. We thank the information provided by the UN Resident Coordinator as well as the factual and critical presentation by His Excellency Ernesto Soberón, PR of Cuba. In this spirit of solidarity and international cooperation, we reaffirm reaffirm our unwavering brotherhood with the government and people of Cuba, who continue to face enormous challenges exacerbated by the persistence of the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed against this brotherly nation. Nicaragua categorically condemns the intensification of these unilateral coercive measures, including additional restrictions and other forms of pressure that severely affect the living conditions of the Cuban population and limit access to essential resources for their development and well-being. These measures are unjust, illegal, and contrary to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. They also have direct humanitarian consequences that hinder national efforts to guarantee access to basic goods, essential services, and development opportunities for the Cuban people, as thoroughly described by previous speakers. We reiterate that no people should be subjected to sanctions, threats, or pressures from exercising their sovereignty and their right to freely determine their own destiny. International solidarity must prevail over policies of isolation and collective punishment. Nicaragua calls upon the international community to continue supporting efforts aimed at alleviating the hardships faced by Cuba and reiterates its demand for the immediate and unconditional end of the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed against Cuba. It is extremely alarming that there are still attempts in a narrative to label the blockade as fake news when it is public and verifiable. The blockade exists and it is condemnable. We reaffirm our eternal brotherhood with Cuba and our steadfast support for the government and people of Cuba, who continue to defend with dignity, courage, and determination their independence, sovereignty, and social justice project in the face of constant aggression and coercive measures imposed against them. Colleagues, Cuba has always been a power of common good and solidarity. And now is the time to honor and reciprocate that solidarity to Cuba.

We urge you to follow that path. Thank you.

Thank you to the representative of Nicaragua. I will now hand over the floor to the representative of UNICEF, my colleague Lucía Almí, on the humanitarian impacts. Thank you.

Delegates, thank you to Acha for having given a very good overview of the situation on the ground after your mission together with PAO and WHO. Just to highlight the situation of children in this particular moment, in particular on two areas. Number one is the situation for water and sanitation, as also the Resident Coordinator has mentioned, where 2.6 million people have their water supply interrupted because of the energy constraints, and one out of five are children. It's 20% of, of the population. Another impact on the essential services in relation to education ,where, as it was said also by my colleagues, school hours also have been reduced and exams have been suspended. And this will have an impact on the learning outcomes for over 1.5 million students. As the hurricane season is about to start again and the resilience of community, we also need to continue to build and reinforce on the result that we have achieved together during the Hurricane Melissa and the response, with many thanks to the part of the the partners who supported that, where we managed to support over 700,000 people, including 120,000 children, with water sanitation services. We also helped providing 300,000 people with— primarily children and pregnant women— with essential medicines they were missing, and also 50,000 children to resume some form of learning and education, including psychosocial support. Those are, you know, important results, but they are really— not sufficient and not enough, particularly as population that is facing, again, other number of multiple risks. In essence, it's really advocating for the fuel availability to be prioritized, to ensure that life-saving services for children and families continue to be delivered. It's really the access to essential services and social services and social protection for children. Thank you.

Thank you to our representative from UNICEF, focusing of course on the children angle. This briefing, of course, has been on the humanitarian impacts that I saw on my visit and also what Francisco Pichon, the RC, has described on the humanitarian side. Member States, thank you. There are a few questions on the Central Emergency Response Fund. I have some responses and also, of course, Francisco, why don't you start on very briefly? We have a few minutes to give the floor to you. I'll come in also. I'll pass the floor to the PR of Cuba just to, as we wrap up. So over to you on surf, on other things that you heard. I'm sure you can come in. Thank you.

Yes, thank you, Adam and colleagues, and thanks for all your interventions. Yes, well, Cuba has benefited from CERF and already we have implemented $4 million that were approved by CERF to support the anticipatory action framework that we deploy for the very first time in Cuba in anticipation of Huracán Melissa. And of course, these activities have been fully executed. Then after the hurricane, we received $3.5 million from CERF rapid response window that also the implementation for this funding is ended or is on track to be completed. And indeed, in response to the current energy crisis and the expanded action plan that we are implementing, we have suggested that a new allocation from CERF will be very important to achieve. We have discussed that with OCHA at the moment, and I hope that it will materialize because the funding is really important, very key for Cuba that, as you know, Cuba is excluded from other more traditional sources of emergency response and is more dependent on the principal humanitarian support from, from CERF. I'd like to say that the implementation of the Anticipatory Action Framework before Melissa made an impact last October was very successful in the sense that It helped support greater mobilization undertaken by the civil defense of Cuba, which resulted in no loss of life despite the power of the hurricane and the magnitude of its impact compared with other countries that also received direct impact of the hurricane and where the loss of life was greater. So it's a very important instrument for us, and it will remain so in the context of this emergency. I mean, there were many other things said. I'd like to say that, of course, we have heard about the funding that has been offered by the United States, I think, you know, focusing on food and medicines and important other type of support. And we have also heard from the government of Cuba that is considering accepting that support as long as it is aligned to the international principles and not made subject to political conditions. And I think the three— the first allocation of $3 million was indeed implemented by the churches. It was very important. It was very strong collaboration of that response with the UN response that is not— that complements the government response but is implemented through the UN agencies. I understand that the $6 million, the second phase, that $6 million has not really been implemented yet, and the $100 million obviously is still being discussed. I think I can leave it there, and thank you for your questions and your reflections.

Thank you, Francisco, for those points. There was a point also on how we are engaging and supporting on the fuel initiative. Do you have any points from your side? And then we'll come back to the room. Thanks.

Well, I mean, it is— yes, thank you. I think the question was more on what the UN is doing at the higher level in terms of facilitating unimpeded access to fuel. And I think maybe colleagues from OCHA can comment on that, but I can say that, as I, I mentioned in my presentation, the UN system in Cuba is adapting to the conditions, to the constraints. We are working with the private sector in Cuba that is, as you know, is growing and which have, as the Ambassador said, is accessing fuel. And we are doing all we can, working through the available fuel resources through private operators. But I want to say that those efforts are still quite modest because the fuel availability is quite modest. And I want to say it's also been affected more recently by over-compliance and the risk-aversion behavior from private sector and logistical sectors that do not want to be exposed to the risk of sanctions. And as a result, the potential of us working through the non-state sector is also quite limited. It's definitely important in the sense that as the United Nations, we are not paralyzed. We have achieved important targets already in the implementation of the plan with whatever means we are able to have. Thanks.

Thank you so much. I'll come in when I close also on the efforts to complement what Francisco said. Francisco, thanks a lot. Pierre, any comments before I close? Please, floor is yours.

Thank you again for the opportunity to speak again and for the excellent organization and conduct of this briefing. It's a shame that the PR of the US didn't want to wait to hear truths that make him uncomfortable. I'm sure someone will pass him these following notes. I would like once Cuba once again thanks OSHA, the United Nations system, the resident coordinator, and our dear member states for their strong statement today in support of Cuba, as well as for the material and financial support already provided to our country for the implementation of the update of your UN Plan of Action. Your support in these complex circumstances is proving crucial in bolstering our country's effort to overcome the current criminal US blockade. Given that the permanent representative of the US has dared to attend this briefing to lie repeatedly, as he's accustomed to doing, I would like to address 3 points. First, the US blockade is not way illegal. It is the most extensive, complex, and long-standing unilateral coercive measures ever imposed on any country. It flagrantly violates the United Nations Charter and international law. It qualifies as a crime of genocide and currently amounts to collective punishment against an entire people. It is widely rejected by the international community every year and has been reaffirmed in numerous General Assembly resolutions. Mention was made of the U.S. offer of humanitarian aid to Cuba. However, I did not hear any reference to the damage valued at $7 billion annually that the blockade inflicts on Cuba. The best assistance that the U.S. government could provide to the noble Cuban people at this time or any time is to descalate the energy, economic, commercial, and financial blockade measures which have intensified as never before in recent months severely affecting all sectors of the Cuban economy and the society. Thirdly, the hostile policy of the United States government toward Cuba is fundamentally responsible for the complex situation the Cuban people is facing. It is not Cuba, it is not our system, and it is intended to be made-believe. The Cuban people know this, and all the countries gathered here understand it as well, only with the exception of the U.S. government. Millions of Cubans are suffering because U.S. is applying a cruel, cruel policy of genocide against a complete population. Full stop. No more words. Please rest assured that we will continue to do everything in our power to prevent a humanitarian crisis and to continue developing even under the most challenging circumstances. As our Minister of Foreign Affairs said last week in this very venue, I humbly ask, the time has come to show solidarity with Cuba, a country that has always stood by everyone, never hesitated in the face of risk, sometimes deadly ones, not in the face of self-interest or material shortage. And finally, I just want to reiterate that the Cuban people is ready to defend our sovereignty our independence at any cost. And thank you very much for your support.

Thank you, Excellency Pierre of Cuba. I now give the floor to myself to end and close. Excellencies, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, thank you. We bring this humanitarian briefing and the impact of the ongoing sanctions and the constant issues related to one natural disaster after the other and everything else that we saw when I was there, the impacts on the ground. The current situation is challenging, but without timely and collective action, further deterioration cannot be prevented. We need timely and collective action. Without additional support, vulnerable communities facing the greatest consequences and maybe pushed to the brink. The cost of inaction is too great. Excellencies, this is a humanitarian briefing for which OCHA in many settings has been known to share, right, what we see on the ground. My colleague from UNICEF shared what she's seen on children and the impact, and our colleagues from WHO and PAHO also shared firsthand with me when they saw the impact on health. The Resident Coordinator has also highlighted what is needed very clearly in his detailed presentation. The United Nations and our partners are already responding, but our ability to do so effectively depends on adequate resources, predictable operating conditions, support, sustained support, of course, from the international community, including fuel for humanitarian purposes. We know from experience, we know from experience that early and decisive action can make a critical difference. The anticipatory action points that Francisco highlighted, $4 million ahead of Melissa, plus the $3.5 supplementary. I saw the prepositioning, what it done, and the lives and the impact it had on the lives and the lives saved. Hear the people, not the politics. Scaling up financial support to align resources, number one, with growing level of need. Number two, ensuring access to fuel and critical humanitarian supplies as an immediate priority, given that without these essential services and humanitarian operations risk rapidly becoming unsustainable. And three, of course, strengthening the enabling environment for humanitarian action by ensuring unimpeded humanitarian aid, including fuel for humanitarian purposes, through sustained international engagement and support. And for us as humanitarians, the principles of humanitarian action, of course, apply. The people of Cuba continue to demonstrate remarkable strength and resilience. The people I saw continued to do this, but resilience alone cannot compensate for strained systems or sustained support— gaps in the support. This is a pivotal moment. I urge all of us to translate today's discussion into concrete support. $94 million for 4 million people, $60 million needed and needed now. We thank our donors, we thank our partners, we thank all of you who are focused on alleviating suffering for the people of Cuba. We thank you for this concrete support, and we hope that assistance reaches people in need fast. I'd like to last pay homage to my dear colleague, Resident Coordinator Francisco Pichón. You have really highlighted the needs of the people of Cuba. You have really focused on bringing the teams together to deliver on their plan of action. When I was there, you were with me throughout, traveling across just your dedication as a United Nations civil servant. If I may give a shout out to you for the work that you've done focusing on the people, and that's the UN and the beauty of the United Nations. I thank you for your attention, and I bring this briefing to a close. Thank you.