Canada and Chile pledge humanitarian aid to Cuba amid fuel crisis

Saturday 14 February 2026 - 11:50

By: Dakir Madiha

Canada and Chile pledge humanitarian aid to Cuba amid fuel crisis

Canada and Chile have announced new humanitarian assistance for Cuba as the Caribbean nation grapples with a deepening fuel shortage that the United Nations warns could spiral into a broader humanitarian collapse, compounded by intensified pressure from the United States.

The Canadian Network on Cuba said it will dispatch its 19th container of humanitarian supplies to the island since 2020. At the same time, the Canadian government raised its travel advisory, urging citizens to avoid non essential travel to Cuba as shortages of fuel, electricity, food, water and medicine worsen across the country.

Julio Fonseca, co chair of the Canadian Network on Cuba and head of the Association of Cubans in Toronto, said the shipment will include medical supplies, canned food, powdered milk, rice, generators and mattresses. The container is scheduled to depart by sea on March 7 and is expected to arrive in either Havana or Santiago de Cuba for distribution through local authorities.

Fonseca told CBC that recent aid efforts have expanded beyond medical materials to include food staples, reflecting deteriorating living conditions. He said the situation demands immediate support as essential goods become increasingly scarce.

Global Affairs Canada updated its travel guidance to recommend avoiding non essential travel, one level below its highest warning. Officials cited worsening supply disruptions that could also affect tourist resorts. Canadian airlines have suspended flights to Cuba, and carriers are working to repatriate thousands of travelers currently on the island.

Chile confirmed it will provide one million dollars in assistance through UNICEF, channeling funds from its national fund against hunger and poverty. Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren said the support will target programs focused on health, nutrition and child protection.

Van Klaveren emphasized that the funding is directed to UNICEF rather than the Cuban government, stating that Chile is not financing authoritarian regimes. President Gabriel Boric defended the move on social media, describing the longstanding US embargo as criminal and harmful to the rights of the Cuban people. While acknowledging political differences with Havana, Boric said nothing justifies harm to children and civilians.

The aid announcements come as the Trump administration steps up measures aimed at restricting Cuba’s fuel supply following the removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January. An executive order signed on January 29 declared Cuba a national emergency and authorized tariffs on countries that sell oil to the island.

Cuban American Representative Carlos Giménez warned that Chile would face consequences for its decision to provide assistance. Mexico delivered two ships carrying humanitarian supplies to Havana on Thursday, drawing expressions of gratitude from residents despite threats of US tariffs.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said the campaign to curtail Cuba’s fuel access is having an increasingly severe impact on hospitals, water distribution and food supply systems. He warned that political objectives cannot justify actions that themselves undermine fundamental human rights.