UN chief condemns US sanctions on Cuba as infant mortality doubles
The United Nations high commissioner for human rights has called for the immediate removal of US sanctions on Cuba, linking the policy to a de facto oil blockade that has severely restricted access to essential medical supplies and increased child mortality.
Volker Turk, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, has issued a stark condemnation of recent United States sanctions on Cuba, demanding their immediate removal due to severe humanitarian consequences. Turk stated that fuel restrictions and tightened extraterritorial sanctions imposed since early 2026 are directly harming vulnerable Cubans, particularly by restricting access to essential medical supplies.
The UN official highlighted that infant death rates have doubled to 9.9 per 1,000 births, while childhood cancer survival rates have declined from 85 per cent to 65 per cent. Turk attributed these outcomes to a de facto oil blockade and resulting power outages, noting that children are dying because doctors lack access to necessary medicines. He described the situation as unacceptable and contrary to the basic principles of international human rights law.
Turk’s comments follow a series of escalating measures by the Trump administration, including an executive order declaring Cuba a national security threat. Since January, only one Russian oil tanker has been allowed to reach the island, leaving foreign fuel supplies largely depleted. The administration has also imposed penalties on Cuba’s Interior Ministry, National Police, and intelligence directorate, followed by sanctions targeting President Miguel Diaz-Canel and members of his family.
While acknowledging Cuba’s human rights record and urging the release of arbitrarily detained individuals, Turk pointed to the mounting death toll associated with the sanctions. The Cuban government estimates a backlog of 96,387 people awaiting surgery, including 11,193 minors, with 16,000 patients needing radiotherapy and 2,888 requiring dialysis. Turk warned that rising summer temperatures and the approaching hurricane season create a risk of further social and economic deterioration.
The remarks were delivered against a backdrop of heightened geopolitical tension, with President Trump suggesting he is considering military action in Cuba to remove its leadership after the US-Israel war on Iran concludes. Within hours of Turk’s statement, western Cuba was rattled by a powerful 6.1-magnitude earthquake, underscoring the island’s vulnerability as it faces increasing isolation from international payment systems and global supply chains.
