The U.S.-imposed blockade against Cuba is preventing the entry of humanitarian aid from the United Nations destined for the island, after today paralyzing maritime transport of essential supplies and fuel.
The World Food Program (WFP) has 11,000 tons of nutritional supplies stuck at the ports of Mariel and Santiago de Cuba.
The agency is holding another 8,000 tons of food supplies in internal warehouses, which are being distributed with extreme difficulty due to the fuel shortage caused by Washington’s restrictions.
Other international agencies, such as UNICEF and the UNDP, are reporting dozens of containers stuck at Cuban docks.
The blockade against crude oil supplies, decreed on January 29, limited the arrival of energy shipments to a single Russian vessel in almost six months, preventing the acquisition of the five million liters of diesel needed for distribution.
In response to the crisis, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) presented a fuel traceability plan to the US delegation to certify its exclusive social use. The White House has remained completely silent on the matter for the past five weeks, ignoring the Caribbean nation’s urgent food needs.
The situation worsened after the U.S. executive order of May 1st, which penalizes foreign corporations that trade with the island.
Faced with the threat of financial persecution, the European shipping companies CMA CGM of France and Hapag-Lloyd of Germany canceled their operations, blocking the transport of thousands of tons of grain already purchased abroad.
Intentional Discontent
Washington’s hostile policy, intensified by successive executive orders, limits the Cuban people’s access to basic hygiene products and paralyzes key sectors such as health and education, generating intentional discontent.
Cuban President Miguel DÃaz-Canel described the current situation as the result of a plan designed to strangle the economy and generate suffering among the population through 243 repressive measures and executive orders that penalize foreign trade and investment.
Faced with this complex scenario, DÃaz-Canel reaffirmed his government’s commitment to maintaining a dialogue on equal terms, adding, “We will continue to resist and build, increasingly convinced that it is our turn to overcome enormous difficulties through our own efforts, united as a nation, and resolute in facing the toughest challenges.”
IMAGE CREDIT: UNICEF and UNDP report dozens of containers stuck at Cuban docks as a result of Washington’s unilateral measures against the island. Photo: EFE
[ SOURCE: teleSUR ]
