Fuel Shortage Could Lead to Humanitarian Collapse in Cuba, UN Warns

Author: Vera Rousseff

February 10, 2026

HRRC calls on the Trump administration to cease its attempts to further weaken Cuba’s economy, as continued economic pressure risks triggering a severe humanitarian crisis. The United States’ actions are the latest chapter in a decades-long pattern of U.S. interference and violence in Cuba and the Latin American region, which must come to an end.

Cubans wait in line for fuel. [Image credit: Getty Images]

On Wednesday, February 4, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed serious concern about a possible humanitarian crisis in Cuba, warning that the country may face a total humanitarian “collapse” if fuel shortages continue. 

The warning comes amidst a worsening fuel crisis in Cuba, with residents experiencing daily blackouts, rising prices, and public transportation shutdowns as a result of fuel shortages. Even the capital, Havana, which has experienced fewer blackouts than other parts of the country, has been losing power for 12–14 hours every day. On January 29, the Financial Times reported that the country has just a few weeks’ worth of oil remaining, if current consumption levels continue and no new shipments arrive.

The shortage is primarily due to a halt in oil shipments from Venezuela, which has traditionally been Cuba’s main oil supplier. Shipments from Venezuela stopped after the United States violently abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro at the beginning of this year.

The situation has grown even more dire after the United States issued an executive order threatening to impose tariffs on any country that sells oil to Cuba. The order, issued on January 29, states that the Cuban government “has taken extraordinary actions that harm and threaten the United States,” such as aligning itself with “hostile” countries—namely Russia, China, and Iran—and supporting “transnational terrorist groups,” including Hamas and Hezbollah. The order also criticizes the Cuban communist regime, arguing that it threatens the security of the United States by continuing to “spread its communist ideas, policies, and practices around the Western Hemisphere.”

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has strongly denounced the Trump administration’s tariff threat, calling it an attempt to “suffocate” Cuba’s economy. “This new measure reveals the fascist, criminal and genocidal nature of a clique that has hijacked the interests of the American people for purely personal ends,” President Diaz-Canel said. Last Thursday, February 4, the president announced that he is prepared to engage in talks with the United States, but insisted that any dialogue must come “from a position of equals, with respect for our sovereignty, our independence, and our self-determination" and without "interference in our internal affairs."

President Diaz-Canel’s references to sovereignty and respect are a reminder of the decades-long history of American interference in Cuba, as well as in Latin America more broadly. The United States has imposed trade embargoes and sanctions on Cuba since the Cold War, which have negatively impacted nearly all sectors of Cuba’s economy and have exacerbated humanitarian issues.

The United Nations General Assembly has long called for an end to the U.S. embargo on Cuba, with October 29, 2025 marking the 33rd year in a row that the UN General Assembly has voted to end the “economic, commercial and financial” embargo. Unfortunately, the UN’s most recent calls for dialogue and respect for international law have had little effect, as U.S. actions continue to push Cuba closer toward a humanitarian crisis.

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Glossary

• Blackouts: periods of time when electricity is not available.

• Communist regime: a government based on communism, a political system where the state controls major industries with the aim of economic equality.

• Embargo: a government order that limits or bans trade with another country.

• Exacerbated: made a problem or situation worse.

• Executive order: a rule or directive issued by the president that has the force of law.

• Hamas: a Palestinian political and militant group considered by the United States, European Union and others as a terrorist organization.

• Hezbollah: a Lebanese political and militant group considered by the United States, European Union and others as a terrorist organization.

• Humanitarian crisis: a serious situation in which people lack basic needs such as food, water, medical care, or shelter.

• Interference: involvement in another country’s affairs in a way that is unwanted or inappropriate.

• Sanctions: penalties imposed by one country on another, often to influence political behavior.

• Secretary-General: the head of the United Nations, responsible for leading the organization and addressing global issues.

• Sovereignty: a country’s right to govern itself without outside control.

• Tariffs: taxes placed on imported goods, often used to pressure other countries economically.

• Transnational: involving more than one country, especially activities, organizations, or issues that cross national borders.

• United Nations (UN): an international organization made up of many countries that works to promote peace, security, and cooperation.

• UN General Assembly: the main decision-making body of the United Nations, where all member countries meet to discuss global issues and vote on resolutions.