Canada announced on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, the immediate release of $8 million in accelerated humanitarian funding to support vulnerable populations in Cuba, where severe fuel shortages, prolonged blackouts, and mounting barriers to food and healthcare are exacerbating an already dire economic and humanitarian situation.
In a joint statement, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and Secretary of State (International Development) Randeep Sarai emphasized the urgency of the aid:
“Cuba is facing rapidly worsening conditions driven by severe fuel shortages, prolonged blackouts and growing barriers to accessing food and health care,” the statement read. “Today… an accelerated funding of $8 million [will] be released immediately to scale-up food and nutrition for vulnerable Cubans.”
The funding will be delivered through established international partners—the World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)—as part of Canada’s broader international assistance program aimed at bolstering local food security and nutrition systems. The aid is intended to reach the most at-risk groups, including children, pregnant women, the elderly, and families struggling with acute malnutrition and food insecurity.
Minister Anand underscored Canada’s commitment: “As the people of Cuba face significant hardship, Canada stands in solidarity and is providing targeted assistance to help address urgent needs… reaffirming Canada’s commitment to the well-being and dignity of the Cuban people.”
The announcement comes amid Cuba’s most severe economic crisis in decades, characterized by:
- Widespread fuel shortages that have crippled public transportation, agriculture, and industrial activity.
- Nationwide blackouts lasting up to 20 hours a day in many areas, disrupting water supply, healthcare services, food refrigeration, and daily life.
- Soaring food and medicine prices, compounded by limited access to basic goods.
- Intensified US pressure, including recent measures to further restrict oil shipments to the island, particularly from ally Venezuela.
These developments have driven inflation, reduced agricultural output, and deepened humanitarian vulnerabilities for millions of Cubans. International organizations, including the WFP and UNICEF, have repeatedly warned of rising acute malnutrition rates and the urgent need for scaled-up food assistance.
Canada’s decision to fast-track the funding reflects growing international concern over the humanitarian fallout from Cuba’s multi-year crisis, which has been worsened by the combined effects of long-standing US sanctions, the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism revenue, and internal economic mismanagement.
Ottawa stated that it is “monitoring the situation in Cuba closely” and maintaining “close contact with its partners” to assess evolving needs. The $8 million forms part of Canada’s ongoing commitment to humanitarian support in the region and aligns with broader multilateral efforts to address food insecurity in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Neither the Cuban government nor opposition voices inside Cuba immediately commented on the Canadian announcement. However, Havana has repeatedly called for the lifting of US sanctions as a prerequisite for economic recovery, while rejecting claims that external pressure alone is responsible for the crisis.
The aid package is expected to begin disbursement in the coming weeks through WFP and UNICEF programs focused on school feeding, maternal and child nutrition, and emergency food distributions.
