Cuba: UN warns of possible humanitarian ‘collapse’, as oil supplies dwindle

Posted on February 6, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

The United States has threatened to impose tariffs on any country providing oil to Cuba, increasing pressure on the island nation following a decades-long trade embargo and the US seizure of Venezuela’s leader Nicolás Maduro last month.

Venezuela had been the main supplier of oil to Havana but Washington has been ratcheting up pressure on Cuba in recent weeks, including an executive order last Thursday threatening to impose additional tariffs on countries that sell oil to Cuba, including Mexico.

“I can tell you that the Secretary-General is extremely concerned about the humanitarian situation in Cuba, which will worsen, and if not collapse, if its oil needs go unmet,” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.

The UN chief noted that the General Assembly has been calling for an end to the US embargo for more than three decades: “The Secretary-General urges all parties to pursue dialogue and respect for international law.”

Fuel crisis

The fuel crisis has pushed up food prices for Cubans, led to severe fuel shortages and major power cuts throughout the country.

“Clearly what we see now, especially after the recent events in Venezuela, is a combination of emotions,” said Francisco Pichon, the most senior United Nations official in Cuba, describing “a mix of resilience, but also grief, sorrow and indignation, and some concern about the regional developments.”

Thirty-two Cubans were killed in Venezuela on 3 January in the US operation to capture Mr. Maduro.

The UN’s humanitarian work in Cuba

Mr. Pichon spoke to UN News from Havana last month, where the power had just gone out in his office. The UN team said that the vast majority of Cubans are being hit by rolling blackouts, at a time when the number of people in vulnerable situations has increased significantly.

Even before the latest regional developments, the UN has been working with the Cuban Government to incubate ideas and support development, including ways to diversify the Cuban economy.

“The energy transition is a major priority due to reduced access to fuel and infrastructure challenges,” Mr. Pichon said, noting that investment needs remain a bottleneck.

Urgent changes needed

“The last two years have been quite tough,” he added, stressing that urgent changes are needed to sustain Cuba’s social model “in the midst of the severe economic, financial and trade sanctions”.

Cuba’s economy, which has historically relied on tourism as a key source of hard currency, was severely disrupted in the COVID pandemic and remains well under 2018 levels.

As the Cuban economy has deteriorated, the country’s social indicators – such as universal healthcare, universal education, and extensive social safety nets like subsidised healthcare and food rations – are under strain.

“All of this is happening in the context of the US embargo against Cuba,” said Mr. Pichon, noting that Cuba has also been relisted by the United States as a state sponsor of terrorism.

“From the UN perspective, our guiding principles remain unchanged: To be present. To support. To act based on cooperation, respected for international law, and the UN values.”

Mr. Pichon, as UN Resident Coordinator, oversees the work of 23 UN agencies, funds and programmes. Here is a snapshot of some of the work underway.

Hurricane Melissa

Hurricane Melissa tore through Cuba as a Category 3 storm on 29 October. For the first time in the country, anticipatory action was taken through the release of funds from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), enabling supplies, such as water purification units, food, hygiene kits, generators, medicines, medical and shelter supplies to be pre‑positioned.

The UN launched a $74 million Plan of Action to support national recovery and assist more than 2.2 million people affected by the storm’s destruction. So far, about $23 million has been mobilised targeting the one million most vulnerable.

“No lives were lost directly due to the hurricane,” Mr. Pichon said, owing to the solid capabilities of Cuba’s civil defence, although recovery needs remain enormous, including rebuilding tens of thousands of homes.

Cooperation Framework

The UN’s long‑term engagement in Cuba is undergirded by a cooperation framework aligned with Cuba’s National Development Plan and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This framework has four key pillars:

Institutional: The UN supported the development of around 30 laws following the 2019 constitutional reform, advancing equity, inclusion and rights for women, children, LGBTQ+ persons, people of African descent and persons with disabilities.
Economic: Focuses on productive transformation and access to financing amid ongoing sanctions and the US listing of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism. Utilizing the Joint SDG Fund, which helps countries pay for projects related to the Sustainable Development Goals.
Environmental: Disaster risk management and climate resilience are central, especially given Cuba’s exposure to hurricanes, such as Melissa. UN support in anticipation and response seeks to protect lives and livelihoods.
Social: Social protection systems and attention to differentiated needs with a focus on leaving no one behind, including vulnerable groups vulnerable groups such as people living with AIDS, the LGBTI community, children, adolescents, women, and the elderly, who are a very relevant sector in an aging society.

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Gaza: Hospitals ‘at near-total collapse’, staff overwhelmed by the injured

Posted on August 7, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

Meanwhile, UN agencies confirmed the deaths of three Palestinians from Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), a rare auto-immune disease that can cause sudden muscle weakness and even paralysis.

Before war erupted in Gaza in October 2023, only a handful of cases surfaced every year.

Mass casualties now the norm

“Hospitals are overwhelmed by mass casualty incidents, with an average of eight incidents per day,” said the UN aid coordination agency, OCHA, citing health partners.

In an update on the dire health crisis in Gaza, OCHA noted that specialised rehabilitation facilities were also overstretched handling complex trauma injuries and cases of Guillain-Barré.

To date, three deaths out of around 64 cases of GBS have been confirmed by the health authorities in Gaza. Two of the deceased were children.

According to the UN World Health Organization (WHO), 30 per cent of GBS patients require intensive care but there is no available stock of the primary medication needed to treat it, intravenous immunoglobulin.

Aid-drops are inadequate: WFP

In a related development, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) echoed repeated calls for aid to flood into Gaza, as opposed to the very limited amounts being allowed by the Israeli authorities.

“We can’t airdrop our way out of an unfolding famine. Not in Gaza,” insisted Cindy McCain, WFP Executive Director in a social media post late Wednesday.

The UN agency chief underscored that “500,000 people are starving today” and the only way to help them is to get food to them at scale and by land.

“We can’t afford to wait; Gaza is out of food and out of time,” Ms. McCain said.

WHO stocks destroyed

The destruction of WHO’s main medical warehouse in an attack on Deir Al-Balah late last month continues to impact lifesaving care.

In particular, the critical shortage of antibiotics has hampered treatment of meningitis, whose numbers are now in the hundreds – “the highest number recorded since the beginning of the escalation”, the OCHA update noted.

Isolation measures have been implemented, including the separation of the external department at Al Khair Hospital from the Nasser Medical Complex and the establishment of isolation tents at Al Aqsa Hospital to safely manage suspected cases.

Explosive weapons such as bombs and grenades have accounted for 83 per cent of medical consultations, said OCHA.

It cited partner NGO Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) whose data covered more than 200,000 medical consultations in six MSF-supported health facilities in Gaza in 2024.

What is Guillain-Barré Syndrome?

Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) is a neurological and autoimmune disease that affects the nervous system and causes progressive muscle paralysis. It is not contagious and is often triggered by a prior infection – viral or bacterial – that disrupts the immune system.

In most cases, patients can recover fully within a few weeks. But WHO stressed that even in the best healthcare settings, three to five per cent of patients die from complications of the disease, such as respiratory muscle paralysis, sepsis, pulmonary embolism, or cardiac arrest.

There have been several outbreaks of infectious diseases in Gaza since war erupted following Hamas-led terror attacks in Israel, including polio, cholera, hepatitis A and scabies.

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No fuel, no aid, no escape: UN agencies warn of looming collapse in Gaza

Posted on July 12, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

“Fuel is the backbone of survival in Gaza,” said the statement. “Without fuel, these lifelines will vanish for 2.1 million people.”

UN humanitarian workers stressed that fuel powers everything from hospitals and water systems to bakeries and ambulances.

Without a steady supply, “maternity, neonatal and intensive care units are failing, and ambulances can no longer move.” The fuel shortage, they said, has left Gaza’s population – already facing severe food insecurity and the constant threat of violence – on the edge of catastrophe.

They warned that “without adequate fuel, UN agencies responding to this crisis will likely be forced to stop their operations entirely,” meaning “no health services, no clean water, and no capacity to deliver aid.”

Inadequate fuel injection

The agencies noted that for the first time in 130 days, a small quantity of fuel was allowed into Gaza this week. While welcome, the amount – just 75,000 litres over two days – is far from enough to meet the daily needs of the population and vital civilian aid operations.

Speaking at UN Headquarters in New York late Friday, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric described the overall situation as “dire and worsening by the day.”

“Every day without a ceasefire brings more preventable deaths – children dying in pain, and hungry people shot while trying to reach the trickle of aid that is allowed in,” he said.

Life-threatening

Mr. Dujarric also expressed deep concern over continued Israeli restrictions on aid access. “Yesterday, our teams could provide hospitals with some of the fuel that came in – but only in the south. That’s because Israeli authorities denied our attempt to bring fuel to the north,” he said. “Such denials are life-threatening.”

He added that the fuel shortage also affects water treatment, ambulances and waste management. “All of these services are at risk of collapsing,” he said.

Out of 15 humanitarian missions that required coordination with Israeli authorities on Thursday, only six were fully facilitated. Five were denied outright, while four faced obstacles that delayed or prevented delivery.

One mission, to rescue injured people trapped under rubble in Gaza City, was only approved two days after the initial request – too late to save lives. “By the time the mission was finally allowed through yesterday, no one was found alive,” Dujarric said.

On top of this, essential items like tents and shelter materials have been blocked from entering Gaza for over four months, leaving thousands exposed to the elements.

Close call

Aid workers are also at risk. “Five strikes landed just a few hundred metres from where aid workers were operating this week, including UN staff,” Mr. Dujarric said. No injuries were reported, but several Red Crescent workers were shot while attempting to assist an injured colleague.

UN agencies are calling for the immediate and consistent delivery of fuel at scale, and for full, safe access to all parts of Gaza. “The urgency of this moment cannot be overstated,” they said. “Without fuel, Gaza faces a complete collapse of humanitarian efforts.”

Greed is driving oceans toward collapse

Posted on June 10, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

Mr. Guterres’ stark assessment came during a press conference on the second day of the weeklong UN Ocean summit, known as UNOC3, where hundreds of government leaders, scientists and civil society representatives are gathered on France’s Côte D’Azur. Their mission: to confront the escalating emergency facing the world’s oceans.

Greed is a ‘clear enemy’

“We are in Nice on a mission – save the ocean, to save our future,” the Secretary-General said, and warned that a tipping point is fast-approaching “beyond which recovery may become impossible.”

The “clear enemy” that is pushing our oceans towards the brink is greed.

According to the UN chief, greed sows doubt, denies science, distorts truth, rewards corruption and destroys life for profit. “We cannot let greed dictate the fate of our planet,” he insisted.

Calling for all stakeholders to assume their responsibility and to play a vital role to push back against these profit-hungry forces, the Secretary-General said: “That is why we are here this week: to stand in solidarity against those forces and reclaim what belongs to us all.”

He cited four priorities for governments, business leaders, fishers, scientists, saying “everyone has a responsibility and a vital role to play”:

Transform ocean harvesting – It’s not just about fishing, it’s about how we fish. We must meet the globally agreed “30 by 30” goal to conserve 30 per cent of oceans by 2030.
Tackle plastic pollution: Phase out single-use plastics and improve recycling; and finalize a global treaty to end plastic pollution this year.
Fight climate change at sea: Countries must submit bold climate plans ahead of COP30 in Brazil. Plans must align with the 1.5°C target and cover all emissions.
Enforce the High Seas Treaty: Ratify and implement the new treaty, known by the shorthand, BBNJ treaty, to protect marine biodiversity, and urge all nations to join and bring the agreement into force.

Calling for a grand global coalition of governments, business leaders, fishers, scientists, the Secretary-General urged everyone to step forward with decisive commitments and tangible funding.

“The ocean has given us so much. It is time we returned the favour.”

More to follow.

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UN warns of ‘catastrophic’ human rights crisis in Myanmar as violence and economic collapse deepen

Posted on May 27, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

Published ahead of the Human Rights Council’s upcoming session, the report highlighted the worsening situation since the military coup in 2021, which derailed Myanmar’s democratic transition and ignited widespread armed resistance.

In the years since, military forces have targeted civilian populations with airstrikes, artillery bombardments and other forms of violence, while anti-military armed groups have gained ground, particularly in Rakhine state.

“The country has endured an increasingly catastrophic human rights crisis marked by unabated violence and atrocities that have affected every single aspect of life,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.

Grim toll

The report documents a grim toll: military operations killed more civilians in 2024 than in any previous year since the coup.

In Rakhine, the Arakan Army seized control of most of the state, displacing tens of thousands, while Rohingya civilians were caught between warring factions, facing killings, torture, arbitrary arrests and widespread destruction of villages.

Some Rohingya armed groups have also been drawn into the conflict, according to reports.

Economic crisis deepening

The escalating violence has had a cascading effect on Myanmar’s economy, worsening already dire humanitarian conditions.

Myanmar’s economy has lost an estimated $93.9 billion since the coup, with the gross domestic product (GDP) not expected to recover to pre-pandemic levels before 2028.

Inflation has surged, the kyat has lost 40 per cent of its value, and over half the population now lives below the poverty line, facing food insecurity and soaring prices.

The March earthquakes further exacerbated the crisis, leaving thousands more displaced, homeless and without basic services.

Military control of revenue

Meanwhile, the military continues to control key revenue sources, including the central bank and state-owned enterprises, particularly in the extractive sector.

While targeted international sanctions slowed some revenue streams, the junta has maintained its financial lifelines through forced currency conversion, import restrictions, and a crackdown on informal money transfers.

Myanmar has also become the world’s largest producer of opium and synthetic drugs, with transnational criminal networks thriving under military rule.

Multifaceted approach needed

The report urged a multifaceted response to the crisis, including urgent humanitarian support, cross-border aid for displaced populations and increased political engagement with Myanmar’s democratic forces and emerging governance structures.

It also emphasised the need for accountability through international justice mechanisms, including a referral of the situation to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The report also identified key “constituents for change” in the country’s future – women, youth, ethnic minorities, civil society and pro-democracy actors – and highlighted the work of communities who have established local institutions and forms of governance, often with increased participation from women.

Buildings lie in ruins in Mandalay region, central Myanmar, following the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck in March.

Hopes for a peaceful future

The report underscored the importance of planning for the day-after, ensuring human rights are central to a future Myanmar – from rebuilding systems to restoring fundamental freedoms.

“There are strong, resourceful and principled individuals and groups rallying and creating the conditions for an inclusive and democratic future,” High Commissioner Türk said. “They are a shining example of hope for a peaceful future.”

The report will be formally presented to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on 1 July.

Civilians ‘trapped and terrorised’: UN sounds alarm over collapse of critical protections

Posted on May 23, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

Speaking at a high-level open debate in the Security Council on protection of civilians in armed conflict on Thursday, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher described a grim picture of accelerating harm, disintegrating norms and growing impunity.

“The scaffolding built last century to protect us from inhumanity is crumbling,” he said.

“Those who will die as a result need us to act.”

Chilling numbers

According to UN figures, civilians accounted for most of the deaths in 14 armed conflicts last year, while displacement reached a record 122 million people globally.

Attacks on hospitals, schools, water systems and power grids also surged, leaving millions without essential services.

UN staff members and aid workers were caught in the crossfire, with over 360 aid workers killed – at least 200 in Gaza and at least 54 in Sudan – mostly national staff.

Warfare transforming

Mr. Fletcher warned that new technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), are transforming warfare in ways that could further erode human oversight and legal accountability, while proliferation of misinformation is costing lives.

“False narratives and disinformation have undermined humanitarian operations and eroded trust in humanitarian actors…while those trying to report on the plight of civilians were also harmed,” he said.

According to UNESCO, the UN focal agency on protection of the press, at least 53 journalists were killed in armed conflict last year.

“We are witnessing, therefore, an unravelling of the protection of civilians and respect for international humanitarian law.”

Women’s bodies are battlegrounds

UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous expanded on the gendered dimensions of civilian harm, saying over 612 million women and girls are living in conflict zones today.

They are not simply collateral damage but direct targets of bombs, missiles and policies.

“Conflict-related sexual violence is a protection crisis that warrants its own attention,” she said, describing a growing pattern of “reproductive violence” and pointing to blockades on medical supplies, bombed maternity wards and skyrocketing maternal death.

In Gaza, over 28,000 women and girls have been killed since October 2023 – an average of one every hour, she said.

“Tens of thousands have given birth under bombardment and siege, without anaesthetics, without postpartum care or clean water, and while being malnourished, displaced and traumatised.”

Destruction in northern Gaza.

Hold perpetrators accountable

Ms. Bahous urged the Security Council to recognise reproductive violence as a distinct category of harm and bring those responsible to justice.

She also highlighted the mental health impacts of conflict on women and girls – from depression and trauma to domestic violence and suicidal thoughts.

The threats extend into the digital sphere, where women activists and journalists are being pushed out of public life by online abuse, deepfakes and disinformation campaigns.

Enforce compliance with law

Both Mr. Fletcher and Ms. Bahous called for urgent action.

UN Member States must enforce compliance with international humanitarian law, fight impunity, and empower civilians – especially women – as agents of their own protection and bringing change.

Mr. Fletcher emphasised that even lawful military actions can cause disproportionate civilian suffering.

“[We need a] more comprehensive and people-centred approach,” he said, urging strong policy and operational measures to protect civilians and a deeper understanding of patterns of life and harm.

A child who lost his left leg after accidentally stepping on a landmine in his family’s paddy fields in central Myanmar.

Protection and peace inseparable

Recalling Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, Ms. Bahous called for sustained investment in women’s organizations, which are on the frontlines – protecting civilians – men, women, children and the elderly alike.

“Yet, they are under siege,” she said, noting that continued funding cuts will cost us the very women driving peace and recovery in the world’s most fragile contexts.

She concluded stressing that protection of women and their participation in peace “are inseparable”.

“The most effective shield we can offer women and girls is their own power, their own voices, and their own leadership…there is no pathway to peace that does not begin with the protection of women and girls.”

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90 days to economic collapse: UN and experts sound alarm over security at sea

Posted on May 21, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

Addressing a high-level debate of the Security Council, António Guterres said that oceans and seas are “sending a clear SOS,” as maritime spaces face escalating pressure from both traditional threats and new dangers – including piracy, armed robbery, trafficking, terrorism, cyberattacks and territorial disputes.

“From time immemorial, maritime routes have bound the world together,” he said.

“But maritime spaces are increasingly under strain…and without maritime security, there can be no global security.”

Spike in piracy, attacks

The Secretary-General pointed to a sharp spike in piracy and armed robbery at sea in early 2025, citing International Maritime Organization (IMO) figures showing a 47.5 per cent increase in reported incidents compared to the same period last year.

The rise was most pronounced in Asia, especially in the busy Straits of Malacca and Singapore.

He also highlighted continued attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden by Houthi forces, disruptions in the Black Sea, and growing criminal networks trafficking drugs and people across the Gulf of Guinea, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic.

The debate was a signature event of the Greek presidency of the Council. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis held the gavel, and several ministers were in the chamber.

A 90-day countdown to collapse

Melina Travlos, President of the Union of Greek Shipowners, delivered a stark warning to Council members: if the global shipping system grinds to a halt, the world economy will collapse in just 90 days.

She described shipping as “the silent guardian of global welfare,” noting that 90 per cent of international trade and more than 12 billion tonnes of goods depend on maritime transport each year.

“Shipping unites the world, not occasionally, but consistently,” she said, calling for greater protection of seafarers and maritime infrastructure amid increasing and more complex threats.

Security forces board a boat suspected of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. (file)

One ship, six days, billions lost

Christian Bueger, a professor of international relations at the University of Copenhagen, reminded ambassadors that in 2021, a single ship – the Ever Given – blocked the Suez Canal for six days, costing the global economy billions.

“Never before in history have we been as dependent on the sea as we are today,” he said, citing a 300 per cent rise in maritime trade since the 1990s.

Mr. Bueger urged Member States to adopt a more systematic, evidence-based approach to maritime security, urging a global response that is as interconnected as the threats it faces.

Uphold law of the sea

In his remarks, Secretary-General Guterres laid out a three-pronged strategy to strengthen maritime security – highlighting that decisive, coordinated global action is needed regardless of individual flashpoints or shipping disruptions.

These include upholding international law, tackling the root causes of maritime insecurity, and strengthening global partnerships.

He called on all nations to uphold international law, especially the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the international treaty that sets the legal framework for all maritime activities and regulates the use of ocean and its resources.

“This framework is only as strong as States’ commitment to full and effective implementation,” he said.

“All States must live up to their obligations.”

Secretary-General António Guterres (centre) addresses the UN Security Council meeting on strengthening maritime security through international cooperation for global stability under maintenance of international peace and security.

Prioritise investment

On root causes, he urged investment in coastal communities, judicial reform and building maritime capacity in developing countries — from surveillance to port security.

Alongside this, weak governance, rising poverty and lack of opportunities must be addressed.

The UN chief stressed that lasting solutions would require cooperation from governments, regional bodies, the private sector and civil society – including women and girls, who are disproportionately affected by maritime crime.

“Collectively, we must do more to reduce the likelihood that desperate people will turn to crime and other activities that threaten maritime security and degrade our ocean environment,” he said.

“The United Nations system stands ready to support Member States to ensure peaceful, secure, and prosperous maritime spaces for generations to come.”

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Afghanistan’s returnees at a crossroads between collapse and recovery

Posted on May 20, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

Since September 2023, some three million Afghans have returned – many having been forcibly deported from neighbouring Pakistan and Iran. Often, they arrive exhausted, disoriented, and stripped of their belongings.

“They return to a homeland that is dramatically unprepared to receive them,” warned Arafat Jamal, the UNHCR Representative in Afghanistan.

UN agencies have stepped in as stabilising forces, providing crucial support at a time of immense pressure. At border crossings for example, returnees receive cash grants to help them build shelters or launch small businesses.

Infrastructure boost

In communities absorbing large numbers of returnees, the UN has bolstered local infrastructure by constructing clinics, schools, housing, and livelihood projects.

These efforts, said Mr. Jamal, have functioned both as essential “shock absorbers” and as “engines for regeneration” in areas under strain.

“By nurturing such an ecosystem of hope, we have fuelled economic success,” he explained.

Yet as international funding declines, the scale of support is being drastically reduced. Cash assistance per family has plummeted from $2,000 to just $150 – barely enough to cover basic needs.

“This can help someone to survive, but not to thrive,” Mr. Jamal said. “Whereas once we provided restorative assistance, we now hand out pure survival money.”

Big dividend through coordination

He stressed that a coordinated response could transform the return of Afghans into an opportunity for stability, economic growth, and regional harmony. However, he also issued a stark warning: “If we do not come together, the demographic shock of disorganised return may instead tip us towards chaos.”

The UN refugee agency reaffirmed its commitment to remain on the ground and continue saving lives “in war and peace”. But with greater support, Mr. Jamal emphasised, they could do far more.

“We can help to repair and rebuild the fabric of torn communities,” he concluded.

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