On Wednesday, the distribution of humanitarian aid from the United States government aimed at the most vulnerable Cuban families began in the municipalities of Bejucal, in the province of Mayabeque, and Alquízar, in Artemisa, as reported by Cáritas Cuba on its official site.
The delivery is managed by Cáritas Habana, the organization responsible for distribution in the Archdiocese of Havana, and it extends to both municipal capitals and various localities within each territory.
Each food kit is "designed to provide family lunches for approximately 10 days" and includes 10 pounds of rice, 10 pounds of black beans, six cans of sardines in tomato sauce, five cans of tuna, one gallon of vegetable oil, three pounds of spaghetti, one pound of iodized salt, and one pound of brown sugar.
The personal hygiene module complements the basket with a solar lamp, water purification tablets, a 20-liter container with a lid, a 10-liter plastic bucket, six bars of soap, powdered detergent, four toothbrushes, two toothpastes, and sanitary towels.
The parish volunteers participating in the operation reiterated their commitment to act "with respect, close support for the beneficiaries, transparency, and a humane approach in each community," as reported by Cáritas Cuba.
The assistance goes directly to families without going through the authorities of the Cuban regime, a mechanism designed from the outset to ensure that resources are not intercepted or redirected by the government of the island.
This distribution is part of the first formal humanitarian flight from the U.S. to Cuba, which took off from Miami on Tuesday carrying approximately 18 tons of food and hygiene supplies, enough to support up to 700 families of the Archdiocese of Havana in this initial phase.
The flight was organized in conjunction with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) as part of the commitment of 100 million dollars announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Of that total, 60 million will be managed by the Catholic Church through CRS and Cáritas Cuba, and 40 million by independent non-governmental organizations.
The complete plan is expected to benefit between 100,000 and 120,000 families across the island.
The logistical coordination was arranged in prior meetings between the U.S. representative Mike Hammer, the director of Cáritas Cuba Carmen María Nodal Martínez, the president of CRS Sean Callahan, and the archbishop of Santiago de Cuba Dionisio García Ibáñez.
This is not the first time that the U.S. has channeled assistance of this kind. In January and February of 2026, Cáritas Cuba already distributed aid from the U.S. in dioceses of eastern Cuba, in two phases totaling nine million dollars, benefiting around 8,000 families.
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