UN denounces deaths of children in Cuba under US blockade

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, reported this week that children are dying in Cuba due to a shortage of medicines and medical equipment caused by the tightening of the economic blockade imposed by the United States against the island.

In a statement released on Sunday (8), Türk stated that US sanctions have been causing “widespread damage” to the Cuban population and demanded the immediate suspension of the measures adopted by Washington.

“Children are dying because doctors do not have access to medical supplies and essential medicines. This is unacceptable,” declared the UN Human Rights chief.

According to the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the social and health situation in Cuba has deteriorated rapidly since January, when the United States increased financial, commercial and energy restrictions against the country.

The measures began to affect maritime transport companies, insurance companies, banks and international suppliers, affecting the supply of fuel, food, water and hospital supplies.

Data released by the UN indicate that infant mortality doubled in Cuba, reaching 9.9 deaths per thousand births. The survival rate for children with cancer has fallen from 85% to 65%, while only around 30% of essential medicines remain available in the public healthcare system.

The daily blackouts, which in some regions already exceed 20 hours, also directly affect hospitals and medical treatments.

This Wednesday (10), Cuba’s Vice Minister of Health, Carilda Peña García, stated that almost 100,000 people are awaiting surgical procedures in the country.

Among them, 5,152 patients require cancer surgery and 2,888 people on hemodialysis face difficulties due to failures in the supply of water and electricity.

According to Peña García, the blockade compromises hospital infrastructure, the transport of health professionals and the operation of laundry facilities, elevators and basic services in medical units.

“The sector’s policy is to try to maintain services as long as possible and make optimal use of existing resources,” stated the Cuban leader, highlighting the public system’s efforts to avoid the closure of hospitals.

The UN also warned of the worsening of sanitary conditions on the island amid fuel shortages, which compromise garbage collection and encourage the spread of diseases.

For Volker Türk, the sanctions applied by the United States have “broad, indiscriminate and severe” effects on the civilian population and violate fundamental principles of international human rights law.

The Cuban government claims that the North American blockade constitutes a deliberate policy of economic suffocation and blames Washington for the worsening of the humanitarian crisis faced by the country.