Havana: Cuban authorities have begun distributing milk donated from Mexico and Uruguay to alleviate famine amid a worsening economic crisis resulting in the most severe shortages of food, energy, and consumer goods in decades.
According to Thai News Agency, Cuban authorities began distributing skim milk donated by the Mexican and Uruguayan governments to citizens in Havana over the weekend, following the arrival of a new humanitarian aid shipment at the port of Havana on May 18th. The shipment, from Mexico, carried approximately 1.7 tons of supplies. In addition to powdered milk, primarily sponsored by Uruguay, the aid included rice, beans, and personal hygiene items. These supplies are being sent through a government-run retail system called Bodegas, which uses a food rationing system to control and distribute goods directly to the public. The Cuban government has stated that those most in need of urgent assistance include young children, pregnant women, the elderly, and children's hospitals nationwide.
This aid arrived at a time when Cuba was facing its worst economic crisis in decades, stemming from the US government's embargo on energy supplies under President Donald Trump. The Cuban government stated that the stricter US trade barriers and pressures were a major obstacle to purchasing goods and food from abroad, forcing Cuba to rely on relief supplies from regional allies. Previously, Cuba had received similar assistance, such as 15,000 tons of rice from China, and had also formally requested assistance from the United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) for infant formula.
The Cuban ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations condemned the energy blockade and the threat of direct military aggression from the United States during a disarmament conference in Geneva, Switzerland last week. They stated that the US blockade of Cuba's energy resources, imposed since January, is tantamount to a naval blockade and constitutes a form of warfare. This has resulted in widespread power outages, an energy crisis, disruptions to food production and medical services, and has led to a doubling of infant mortality per 1,000 births and a significant decrease in child life expectancy.