Ireland is monitoring the humanitarian situation in Cuba and echoes the UN Secretary General’s deep concern at the growing humanitarian crisis in country. Ireland, along with our EU partners, is of the view that placing restrictions on basic goods, and particularly fuel, has heightened the suffering of ordinary Cubans.
Ireland provides ongoing humanitarian assistance to Cuba through funding to global prepositioned humanitarian funds, which work with local partners to deliver assistance. These include the United Nation’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (IFRC DREF), and the START Network.
In the past year, the CERF has allocated €6.4 million to UN agencies in Cuba, including support to PAHO/WHO to protect and restore access to health services. The IFRC DREF allocated €1 million to the Cuban Red Cross, and the START Network allocated £270,000 to Care International for their work in Cuba. Ireland has also committed €100,000 through the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to support Cuba to build capacity and develop a strategy to respond efficiently to extreme events such as hurricanes.
At EU level, in April 2026, the European Commission released an additional €2 million in humanitarian aid to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Cuba. This follows €4 million in EU funding approved as a regional allocation for the Caribbean, which was primarily allocated to the response in Cuba. In 2025, almost €6 million was provided for disaster preparedness and emergency response in Cuba.
Ireland continually engages on issues relating to Cuba through a range of diplomatic channels, including European Union and United Nations fora.
