Guyanese seeking public’s assistance to help starving population in Cuba 

May 15, 2026 News

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(Kaieteur News) – As the Cuban population continues to suffer from a blockade, a group of Guyanese are calling on the public to contribute food and other necessities to the country.

In a statement to the media on Thursday, a member of group supporting the initiative ‘A Container of Love from the People of Guyana to the People of Cuba’ highlighted the urgency of the situation.

“Cuba has been under economic blockade for more than 60 years, a blockade which has now been intensified to the point of strangling the entire Cuban population, causing unbearable suffering and death. Despite years of hardship and arrested development as a result of this immoral and illegal blockade, the Cuban people have been there for us in Guyana and for people all over the world in their time of need. Their sacrifice and love for humanity has restored human dignity and hope for a world governed by compassion and cooperation.  It is now time for us to stand with Cuba,” the group stated.

Organized by concerned citizens, organizations and religious leaders from the Christian, Muslim and Hindu communities, the team is aiming to fill a 20 feet container of necessities to be distributed to the neediest sections of Cuba.

“We are asking for donations of foodstuffs such as powdered milk, beans, canned foods, flour, rice, cooking oil and other non-perishable items, medicines including pain relievers vitamins/pre-natal vitamins and pediatric medicines, diapers for adults, babies and toddlers, soap, sanitary napkins, toothpaste, cleaning supplies, solar panels, solar lanterns, portable solar generators, solar powered torchlight, batteries, school supplies, new clothing and footwear. For a full list of items needed see the attached flyer,” they explained.

The 60-years blockade on Cuba intensified in January this year with the Donald Trump administration announcing a fuel embargo. This is preventing Cuba from receiving vital petroleum products necessary for the functioning of their society, including the provision of lifesaving medical services, food production and distribution, provision of electricity, functioning of water systems, transportation and vital revenue-generating industries such as tourism. The embargo includes cooking gas, causing severe difficulties in daily life. As such, Cubans have been forced to cook with charcoal and wood fires, with no refrigeration to store food since January 30, and with no end in sight.

The United Nations warns that this type of collective punishment of an entire population contravenes international law and that Cuba is fast approaching “humanitarian collapse”. The U.S.-imposed fuel blockade has closed schools, grounded aircraft, and left garbage rotting in Havana’s streets.

‘Cuba is struggling to keep its hospitals operational. Healthcare professionals are reporting that they are unable to keep the lights on to perform life-saving surgeries and other medical procedures, and unable to conduct basic scans such as x-rays or ultrasounds,” the citizens pointed out.

Additionally, ambulances are also out of action as many Cubans are denied urgent medical attention. In March, the national electric grid collapsed, resulting in prolonged blackouts lasting over 40 hours in many areas. According to the group, “The fuel blockade has been described as an act of genocide. Recently Guyanese experienced a fuel shortage for a day, and there was panic, imagine no fuel or cooking gas since January 30. We don’t need to remind you of all the sacrifice, good work, and the thousands of lives saved by the Cuban Medical Brigade during the last 48 years that they have operated in Guyana, often serving in hinterland areas where Guyanese doctors were unwilling to work.”

The team hopes to send the container in eight weeks’ time. General Secretary of the Guyana Presbyterian Church, Reverend Patricia Sheerattan-Bisnauth in remarks said, “Every child deserves nourishment, every elder deserves care, and every family deserves to live with dignity and peace. Across the Caribbean, we understand the painful legacies of colonialism, exclusion, and economic injustice. Therefore, we cannot turn away from the cries of our Cuban sisters and brothers.”

The religious leader has called for support of the initiative from government and civil society.

Additionally, Imam Haseeb Yusuf of the Eccles Sunnatul Jamaat called on Guyanese to donate generously: “In a world of great social upheaval and injustice, the global citizenship of conscience and humanity is called upon to respond to the desperate cries of oppressed people worldwide. Out of our shared humanity, empathy, and instincts to work together, we find hope and courage to do whatever is within our means to come to the aid of the most vulnerable. We are appealing to the people of Guyana to help our Cuban brothers and sisters, who are living through a very severe humanitarian crisis. Please donate generously to this noble cause.”

To make donations, kindly contact the project coordinator on 748 1660.

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• blockade, Cuba, public’s assistance, Starving

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