Cuba Faces Severe Food Insecurity and Infrastructure Collapse

Cuba is experiencing a critical shortage of food and basic services, with some reports estimating that 94 percent of the population lives in extreme poverty. The country imports approximately 80 percent of its food, spending about 2.4 billion US dollars annually, while national production of staples like pork, rice, and beans has plummeted between 2018 and 2023. This food insecurity has a gendered dimension: data indicates that malnutrition affects nearly twice as many women as men, a phenomenon described as the feminization of undernourishment where women sacrifice their own portions for their families. Beyond food, citizens report severe failures in electricity, water access, and healthcare. In Havana, residents describe paying for water delivery or struggling to find essential medications in state pharmacies. The Cuban government has acknowledged the complex situation and the impact of US sanctions on imports, though it denies the nation is on the verge of collapse. Historically, this dependency on imports stems from a long term economic focus on sugar production, which began in the colonial era and continued through the Soviet period.