A shipment of 700 food kits and 700 hygiene modules from the United States arrived this Thursday at the José Martí International Airport in Havana, intended for families in extreme vulnerability in the diocese of Pinar del Río, as reported by Cáritas Pinar del Río on Facebook.
Mons. Juan de Dios Hernández Ruiz, S.J., diocesan bishop, and Abel Castillo López, director of Cáritas Pinar del Río, received the shipment at the airport along with volunteers and airport staff.
Distribution will begin immediately at two locations: the parish of Candelaria and the community of Quiebra Hacha, which belongs to the parish of Mariel. Both are under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Pinar del Río diocese, although they are located administratively in the province of Artemisa.
The beneficiaries were selected using strict vulnerability criteria: elderly individuals living alone, pregnant or breastfeeding women with identified risks, children under five years old in precarious situations, and people with disabilities or bedridden individuals who cannot care for themselves.
The volunteers from Cáritas conducted home visits beforehand to identify the most needy families and coordinated the reception and delivery based on principles of transparency, equity, and social justice.
In a diocesan statement, Mons. Juan de Dios Hernández Ruiz acknowledged the limitations of the program: "As a Church, we are fully aware that we cannot reach everyone, and that is a reality that pains us. Resources are limited, and we prioritize those who need it most."
This shipment is part of the 100 million dollar humanitarian program announced by the Trump administration in May 2026, of which 60 million is channeled through Cáritas Cuba and Catholic Relief Services (CRS), and the remaining 40 million through other independent organizations.
The program's design explicitly excludes the Cuban regime as an intermediary: the funds are managed by CRS, which purchases the products in the United States, and Cáritas Cuba distributes them on the island through its diocesan and parish networks.
The delivery to Pinar del Río is the latest in a territorial expansion that progresses week by week. After starting in July in Havana—with an initial flight of 18 tons from Miami—the program reached Villa Clara in September, followed by Cienfuegos, and more recently to Camagüey on October 1 and Ciego de Ávila on October 6, where modules were distributed in the parish of Gaspar.
The expansion to five provinces —Camagüey, Ciego de Ávila, Cienfuegos, Matanzas, and Pinar del Río— was announced by the U.S. Embassy in Cuba on September 16, following a meeting between Chargé d'Affaires Mike Hammer and Carmen María Nodal Martínez, director of Cáritas Cuba.
The overall goal of the program is to reach between 100,000 and 120,000 families across the country, although CRS has estimated that the Catholic component could benefit nearly 200,000 Cuban households.
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