The government of Santiago de Cuba has announced that there is not enough powdered milk in inventory to meet the needs of children aged 2 to 6, a situation that exacerbates the already critical food shortage in the province.
According to information released by Lácteos Santiago de Cuba on Facebook, the current distribution is limited to children under one year of age, who will receive an additional 10-day supply of milk, totaling 20 days in November.
The statement does not clarify when the rest of the product, which is essential for children under one year old, will arrive.
For children who are one year old, coverage is guaranteed only until November 23, leaving many families with older children in uncertainty.
The shortage of milk for children aged two to six highlights the difficulties faced by the system in ensuring basic products for the most vulnerable members of the population.
The measure has generated criticism and concern among the residents of Santiago, who rely on these allocations to feed their children in a context of deep economic and social crisis.
In the comments section, the company clarified that there is a shortage of powdered milk for children aged two to six in the country, a particularly challenging situation for mothers of this age group, although they deemed it necessary to communicate this.
Additionally, regarding the distribution policy, he explained that it is approved by the Ministries after prior consultation, and it is not the company's responsibility to determine the destination of the milk.
According to what was stated, priority is given to the youngest children, as even though children aged 2 to 6 years old are included, the product is insufficient to cover everyone.
In addition to the scarcity, even the widespread blackouts in Cuba have left children without the milk they desperately need.
In October, more than 11,200 children in the province of Matanzas were left without milk in the last week, due to the blackout that left all of Cuba without electricity for five days, according to official sources.
The collapse of the national electrical system made it impossible to distribute milk in the western province, as it prevented the product from being refrigerated prior to industrial processing, authorities revealed on Wednesday.
However, the problem is old and also finds convoluted solutions.
In February, the authorities in Ciego de Ávila announced that children aged three to seven, and those with chronic illnesses who require a special diet, will receive only half a liter of milk and a quantity of vitamin-fortified instant drink due to a shortage of powdered milk.
In August, a group of Cuban mothers expressed their outrage over the fact that children's milk had not been distributed in the stores of Havana, despite the month nearing its end.
"Today is August 22, and in my store in Cerro, we have only received 700 grams of milk for children over three years old all month," said a woman in the Facebook group "Cuban Mothers for a Better World."
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