HAVANA: A United Nations human rights expert on Friday urged the United States to lift its sanctions on Cuba, saying they are impacting the island’s entire population, hitting sectors including health care, nutrition and education.
Alena Douhan, Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Human Rights Council, said it was her second visit to Cuba — her first was in 2023 — and that she has observed a further deterioration of all sectors due to stricter measures imposed by Washington.
“For the communities with low income, the higher inflation as well as the scarcity of resources makes it very difficult to even get proper nutrition,” she said, calling on the United States to stop using sanctions and “maximum pressure constraints.”
In late October, the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to condemn the US economic embargo of Cuba for a 33rd year.
Cuba has struggled since 2020 with an economic and energy crisis. Its gross domestic product has shrunk, and its 10 million residents have endured blackouts, food shortages and inflation. Cuban officials have blamed the economic squeeze on the COVID shutdowns, stricter US sanctions and other factors.
