The United Nations system recently unveiled an Expanded Action Plan in Havana to address energy contingencies and the lingering effects of Hurricane Melissa in Cuba. The document was developed in conjunction with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and in close coordination with Cuban national authorities.

According to Cuba's Ministry of Foreign Affairs portal, Cubaminrex, the plan seeks to address urgent needs and ensure the continuity of essential services for approximately two million people across 63 municipalities in eight provinces.

Shelley Cheatham, head of OCHA's regional office for Latin America and the Caribbean, underscored the importance of ensuring that assistance reaches the most vulnerable populations, stressing the need to optimize coordination and the use of resources amid growing logistical constraints.

Francisco Pichón, the UN Resident Coordinator in Cuba, emphasized that access to fuel is fundamental to sustaining the humanitarian response — enabling the transport of supplies to affected areas, maintaining transportation networks, guaranteeing access to potable water, and continuing field monitoring operations.

The Plan prioritizes six key sectors: logistics, health, water and sanitation, food security, habitability and protection, and education. It places particular emphasis on the care of vulnerable groups and on the efficient use of fuel through control and distribution mechanisms.

UN officials warned of the urgency of implementing the plan in a context of acute energy scarcity, noting that current conditions are generating cumulative and far-reaching effects across multiple areas of national life.

Cuban authorities reported severe impacts on the national health system, including the postponement of nearly 100,000 surgical procedures, delays in vaccination campaigns, and significant difficulties in accessing medications for individuals living with chronic illnesses.