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The European Union announced a contribution of 2.85 million euros to the United Nations World Food Programme to strengthen the humanitarian response to the ongoing damage caused by Hurricane Melissa in eastern Cuba, with the stated goal of assisting over 815,000 Cubans.
The funds are channeled through the General Directorate of Civil Protection and European Humanitarian Aid Operations via the Humanitarian Implementation Plan 2026, and will be allocated to the five most affected eastern provinces: Holguín, Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, and Las Tunas.
The assistance includes the distribution of food modules per person—rice, grains, and vegetable oil—prioritizing children under five years old, pregnant women, and individuals over 65 years old.
The project also includes strengthening food processing centers, warehouses, and logistical capacities, with a special emphasis on fuel procurement, recognized as a decisive factor for ensuring that aid arrives on time in a country paralyzed by fuel shortages.
This new contribution adds to a series of European funding that began after the impact of the hurricane Melissa, which made landfall on October 29, 2025 as a category three storm on the southern coast of Guamá, in Santiago de Cuba, leaving more than 116,100 homes damaged or destroyed and affecting between 2.2 and 3.5 million people.
On April 1, the European Commission had already allocated an additional two million euros for logistical support in Cuba, when the Commissioner for Crisis Preparation and Management, Hadja Lahbib, stated that the support would help ensure that assistance reached up to two million people.
In 2025, the EU had already mobilized nearly six million euros for disaster preparedness and emergency response on the island, and by the end of November that year, a shipment of European humanitarian aid arrived in Cuba with food, medicines, hygiene kits, and construction materials.
However, international funds do not guarantee that aid reaches those who need it most. The UN reported in April that 170 containers of supplies remained stalled due to extreme fuel shortages, unable to reach the affected areas.
The situation is even more serious considering that non-governmental organizations have reported that donations end up in stores that accept freely convertible currency instead of reaching vulnerable populations, while the Catholic Church and Caritas have had to resort to horse and ox carts to distribute assistance due to the lack of fuel.
The structural context surrounding these contributions is that of a dictatorship that has spent decades destroying the productive capacity of the country. The Cuban economy fell by 5% in 2025 and an additional contraction is projected for 2026, while the deterioration of the energy system affects essential services, disrupts supply chains, and restricts water pumping across the territory.
The UN launched a humanitarian plan in March for $94.1 million to assist two million people, but as of April 7, it had only mobilized 26.2 million, leaving a shortfall of about 68 million, which reflects the magnitude of a crisis that the Cuban regime is unable to resolve on its own.
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