Key points
- Independent UN experts say new U.S. sanctions are worsening Cuba’s humanitarian crisis.
- Experts warn the measures threaten access to food, healthcare and other essential services.
- They urge the U.S. to lift the sanctions and call on the UN to treat the issue as urgent.
Main story
Independent United Nations human rights experts have condemned a fresh round of U.S. sanctions against Cuba, describing them as an attempt to force political change in a sovereign state through coercive measures.
The experts, appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, made their position known on Thursday, warning that without urgent international action Cuba risked becoming “a silent Gaza.”
The warning followed the expansion of unilateral U.S. sanctions on key sectors of the Cuban economy since June 2026.
According to the experts, the United States had already taken steps in January to block oil supplies into Cuba after shipments from Venezuela, previously a major supplier, were cut off.
They said additional measures announced on July 23 targeted energy companies, further restricting fuel imports, including those intended for humanitarian purposes.
The experts noted that Cuba was already facing severe fuel shortages and its third major nationwide blackout, with disruptions affecting energy supply, transportation, irrigation and other essential public services.
They warned that women, children, older persons and rural communities were among those most affected, while UN agencies had also reported worsening food insecurity, shortages of medicines and repeated electricity failures affecting healthcare delivery.
The experts further argued that a recent U.S. State Department report describing Cuba as a threat to U.S. national security did not provide concrete evidence to support allegations that the country sponsored terrorism or subversion.
They maintained that the sanctions violated international law and urged the United States to reverse the measures.
The issues
The U.S. embargo and sanctions on Cuba have long been a source of international debate. While Washington says the measures are intended to pressure the Cuban government over governance and human rights concerns, critics argue they worsen humanitarian conditions by limiting access to essential goods, energy and medical supplies.
What’s being said
“The humanitarian consequences are already unfolding into a full-blown crisis, threatening the rights to health, to life, to food and to development.”
“Food must never be used as an instrument of political pressure.”
“The U.S. Government must cease all threats and hostile acts against Cuba’s sovereignty and revoke all measures it has imposed on the country that stand contrary to international law.”
What’s next
The experts have urged the UN Security Council and the General Assembly to treat the situation as an urgent international peace and security issue, while calling on the U.S. to lift the sanctions. There has been no immediate response from U.S. authorities to the experts’ latest statement.
Bottom line
The renewed criticism underscores growing international concern over the humanitarian impact of U.S. sanctions on Cuba, even as Washington maintains pressure on the Cuban government over political and security issues.
