Assessing the Human Rights Consequences of US Sanctions on Cuba

Author: Bashir Wako

June 10, 2026

HRRC maintains that when economic sanctions contribute to sustained shortages of essential goods and declining health outcomes, they risk undermining the protection of fundamental economic and social rights, particularly for vulnerable populations.

[Image credit: JF Martin via Unsplash]

Recent warnings from the United Nations (UN) drew attention to the humanitarian consequences of United States  sanctions on Cuba. According to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, recent fuel restrictions and expanded sanctions contributed to shortages of medicines, medical supplies and other essential goods, which place vulnerable populations at increased risk of deteriorating health conditions.

The United Nations (UN) Human Rights Office reported that essential medicines are currently available in Cuba at only around 30 percent of normal supply levels. The organisation has also cited worsening health indicators, including infant mortality rising to 9.9 per 1,000 live births as of 2025; in addition, recent data shows childhood cancer survival rates fell from 85 to 65 percent. 

These indicators suggest a broader strain on the country’s health system and raise questions about the extent to which Cuban citizens have protected economic and social rights during a period of intense political and economic pressure. While access to healthcare is recognised as a fundamental human right under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), Cuba has signed but not ratified the treaty, which affirms the right of every person to enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.

Healthcare shortages are increasing amidst a broader energy and economic crisis. According to the UN, fuel restrictions imposed by the United States in early 2026 contributed to severe disruptions in Cuba's energy supply, which yielded extended blackouts that harmfully affected hospitals, food production, transportation systems, and water access. 

Humanitarian organisations warned that these disruptions can create secondary health risks by undermining access to essential services, particularly in already strained health systems. 

Children may be particularly vulnerable to these conditions. The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) requires countries to take appropriate measures to reduce infant mortality and ensure access to healthcare for children. Shortages affecting medicines, paediatric treatment and preventative therefore raise concerns regarding compliance with these obligations. 

At the same time, the debate surrounding sanctions remains contested. Supporters argue that the United States sanctions are intended to advance accountability and political reform, while critics maintain that broad economic restrictions can generate humanitarian consequences that extend beyond their intended targets. Human rights experts are increasingly emphasizing that sanctions should be evaluated not only by their political objectives, but also by their effects on civilian populations.

Taken together, shortages of medicines, worsening health outcomes, and disruptions to essential services highlight the human rights risks that can arise when broad economic restrictions affect already fragile public systems.

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Glossary

• Accountability — The quality or state of being accountable 

• Affirm — To assert (something such as a judgement or decree as valid

• Blackouts — A complete loss of electrical power within a specific geographical area or an entire power grid

• Critic — Someone who says that they do not approve of someone or something

• Compliance — Conformity in fulfilling official requirements

• Deteriorating - To make worse or lower in quality

• Economic pressure — Financial tactics used by nations and foreign powers to influence or control others

• Essential medicines — Medicines that effectively and safely treat the priority health-care needs of populations

• Economic restrictions — Withdrawal of customary trade and financial relations for foreign- and security-policy purposes

• Economic rights — Freedoms that individuals possess regarding economic activities, such as the right to own property, access to employment, and engage in business

• Fundamental human rights — Basic freedoms and protections that belong to every person simply for being human

• Fuel restrictions — Government-mandated limitations on the import, export, or consumption of energy resources—such as oil, gas, and jet fuel—used as diplomatic, military, or economic leverage

• Health indicators — Tools designed to objectively measure relevant information on various attributes of health status and the performance of health systems

• Infant mortality — The death of an infant before his or her first birthday. 

• Mental health — A state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn and work well, and contribute to their community

• Paediatric treatment — Treatment that helps children improve or regain cognitive, physical and motor skills

• Political pressure — Influences and challenges that government officials and agencies face in their decision-making processes, often stemming from public opinion, interest groups, and political parties

• Political reform — A process aimed at restructuring governance frameworks and institutional arrangements to enhance transparency, accountability, and the management of public service organizations

• Ratify — Approve or enact a legally binding act that would not otherwise be binding in the absence of such approval

• Sanctions — Economic and political measures that aim to influence the behaviour of a state, a group or individuals

• Social rights — Fundamental to dignity and empowerment and include access to essentials such as food, health, education, housing, social protection and labour rights

• Vulnerable populations — Social groups that have an increased relative risk of adverse health outcomes, reduced access to timely and quality healthcare, and fewer opportunities to implement management recommendations for chronic conditions, often due to factors such as ethnicity, low socioeconomic status, or living in resource-limited settings

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References

1. https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/06/1167671

2. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/06/us-sanctions-against-cuba-are-endangering-lives-and-must-be-lifted

3. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/05/imposing-sanctions-on-those-responsible-for-repression-in-cuba-and-for-threats-to-united-states-national-security-and-foreign-policy/

4. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/02/un-experts-condemn-us-executive-order-imposing-fuel-blockade-cuba

5. https://www.opensanctions.org/programs/US-CUBA/

6. https://www.blackagendareport.com/cuba-new-us-sanctions-aim-starve-people-justify-military-aggression

7. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/01/addressing-threats-to-the-united-states-by-the-government-of-cuba/