Original article: Daño humanitario del bloqueo de EEUU contra Cuba es «incalculable»: Reportaje reveló recientes y negativos efectos en sistema de salud cubano
The U.S. government blockade against Cuba has caused incalculable humanitarian damage and has become the primary obstacle to social development in the Caribbean nation, as reported by the digital media outlet «Cubadebate» on Monday, June 15, as cited by the Chinese news agency Xinhua.
The information refers to a study by the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), mentioned by «Cubadebate», which indicates that the infant mortality rate (IMR) in Cuba increased from 4.0 per 1,000 live births in 2018 to 9.9 in 2025, a staggering rise of 148 percent.
The report concluded that the exponential increase in the IMR during this period may be primarily attributed to the tightening of sanctions against Cuba, which began under Donald Trump’s first administration in 2017.
Cuban authorities, including Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez and Deputy Minister of Public Health Carilda Peña, have recently denounced the detrimental effects of the U.S. blockade on the Cuban healthcare system, particularly citing executive orders from January 29 and May 1 of this year, as noted by Xinhua.
In this context, according to official statistics cited by «Cubadebate», the survival rate of children with cancer in Cuba has declined from 85 percent to 65 percent since the implementation of the oil embargo, which escalated U.S. sanctions against the island.
Blockade Statistics
U.S. measures, described as «collective punishment» by Havana, have affected over 100,000 patients who remain on surgical waiting lists, including 5,152 cancer patients and nearly 12,000 children.
The Ministry of Public Health (Minsap) has also reported the impact on 2,888 patients undergoing hemodialysis, whose treatment relies on supplies, water, and specialized equipment.
The restrictions imposed by the U.S. blockade make it difficult to access raw materials, equipment, and financial resources necessary to sustain domestic production of vaccines, essential medicines, and disease diagnostics, including cancer.
Furthermore, the U.S. oil blockade has exacerbated Cuba’s energy crisis, resulting in power outages exceeding 20 hours in Havana and a daily deficit nearing 2,000 megawatts. The island has only received one fuel shipment so far this year: the Russian tanker Anatoly Kolodkin, which brought 100,000 tons of crude oil.
«The fuel crisis caused by the oil blockade prevents over 100,000 children from receiving state-subsidized milk, which is struggling to be transported from production centers to cities, according to officials from the food industry,» Xinhua reports, highlighting that 170 containers of essential products valued at $6.3 million have not been distributed.
«Humanitarian organizations such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the World Food Programme (WFP) have reported difficulties in distributing containers of food to the Caribbean nation,» the Chinese news agency warned.
We will continue to provide updates. Cover Photo: Jorge Luis Baños / IPS
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