Americans with family on the island and travelers thinking about going have been organizing to send much-needed help to Cuba as the country has struggled with natural catastrophes and power outages. The scenario has prompted concern, further planning, and measures for both groups.
A 6.8 magnitude earthquake, two powerful hurricanes, and national blackouts have all hit Cuba in recent weeks, further weakening the country’s already fragile infrastructure. Access to food, medicine, water, and fuel—all of which are already in short supply—has become considerably more difficult for residents, who have been without electricity for hours on end.
About a month after the initial grid collapse, visitors and family members are taking action to express their annoyance and worry by sending supplies in person and from abroad.
Cuban American content producer Marisa Diaz and her husband Yoel are the main providers of aid to their family in Cuba. They had to battle to keep food and medicine fresh during the first wave of blackouts a few weeks ago since they had no electricity.
Diaz, who is located in Phoenix, stated that blackouts of electricity are not unusual in Cuba; after the power breakdown, her family was without power for as long as eight hours every day.Only to the extent that it was at this time.
Recent packages to the island have included nonperishables like coffee, instant noodles, powdered milk, dried seasonings, first-aid supplies like bandages and ibuprofen, solar-paneled flashlights, and phone chargers, but the couple regularly pays for cellular data for their family to avoid communication losses during frequent, shorter power outages.
She claimed that Americans find it extremely difficult to comprehend the standard of living in Cuba. The scarcity is tremendous.
Diaz, who is critical of the Cuban government, continued, “I think all of that has a negative effect on the tourism sector of Cuba.” Americans are reminded that Cuba does really have a dictatorship. Cuba is indeed a communist nation.
Despite travel recommendations from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom warning against visiting Cuba, Stephanie Herchak, a regular traveler from Orr Lake, Canada, just returned from a trip, citing shortages, the effects of the hurricanes, and an increase in crime.
Though she stayed close to the resort where she and her partner were vacationing, Herchak took food and sanitary supplies to distribute to the locals because she was aware of the worsening situation.
She claimed that every house and object we passed were in ruins, lacking windows or anything else, and that the residents lacked electricity.
During her time at the Sanctuary by Grand Memories in Santa Maria, Herchak reported that she did not encounter any power interruptions at the resort. Resort employees told NBC News over the phone that they have not experienced blackouts and that they utilize their own generators.
However, Herchak claimed that she had heard from numerous residents and hotel employees that electricity was still off in residential areas for hours at a time.
Discussions about the situation in Cuba have taken place on Reddit sites and a number of Facebook Cuba travel groups; some people express worries about future travel plans, while others offer unique insights into the current state of affairs, even urging tourists to rethink their trip. Many seek guidance on the products that residents most need.
Rebecca Shoval, program director of Not Just Tourists New York City, a volunteer organization that has been connecting underprivileged nations with difficult-to-find resources for more than 30 years, said that more and more people traveling to Cuba in recent years are seeking for ways to help. The group claims that they have shipped a “record number” of cargo to Cuba this year.
Not Just Tourists Toronto’s executive director, Avi D’Souza, reported that their organization alone had donated 475 suitcases of supplies this year, which is 62% more than in 2023. According to him, they have shipped 298,000 pounds of medical equipment and supplies in bulk by container, which is 24% more than they did the previous year.
According to Shoval, visitors are provided with medical items in luggage to transport to designated drop-off points on the island.
On a public Reddit site, a number of people, including Anthony ImBoden of Ontario, voiced their worries and inquiries about his planned trip to Cuba. ImBoden, a diabetic who requires refrigeration for his insulin, requested advice on how to carry and store his prescription during power outages.
“I’m taking [the worries] with a grain of salt,” ImBoden said, despite a Canadian travel alert that advises travelers to be extremely cautious in Cuba because of shortages of essentials like food, medicine, and petrol.
Although several advised him not to go, Imboden stated that he is “willing to take” the danger because his diabetes is well managed.
The U.S. has attributed the island’s more difficult economic circumstances on Cuba’s centrally planned, communist economy, while the Cuban government has attributed them to U.S. sanctions and the impact of the pandemic on tourism. Cuba’s capacity to import essentials has been hampered by its lack of hard money.
Monica Joseph, a recent traveler who stayed at an Airbnb in Cuba shortly before the widespread outage, reported feeling safer in tourist-heavy regions like the capital, Havana. She did not personally suffer blackouts, but she did talk to a lot of individuals who talked about how hard it was to find things like soap or sanitary supplies.
According to Joseph, who resides close to Washington, D.C., she was informed that while it was somewhat preferable to be in the city, she would encounter “problems” outside of Havana.
For Cuban Americans like Mailen Rodriguez, 23, a kindergarten teacher from Houston who left Cuba when she was seven years old, the conditions outside of cities and tourist destinations are frustrating.
It is worse now than it was in 2007. I can’t recall ever sleeping in the dark back then. “Now, the [blackouts] were four to five hours every single day when I went in October,” Rodriguez stated, inquiring as to why tourists aren’t impacted.
Why does it primarily effect those in the provinces who are afraid to voice their concerns and protest?
A request for information from the Cuban administration regarding the country’s travel advisories alerting people to the current conditions on the island and whether tourist regions are receiving priority electricity power was not answered.
Rodriguez stressed that many Cubans do not have access to basic commodities like toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, shampoos, razors, clothes, shoes, and cooking seasonings when she brought them to Cuba in October.
Fortunately, those who have family here have a source of income, which allows them to pay for food and other requirements, Rodriguez said. However, it’s really difficult to obtain any resources if you don’t have family outside the island, so you’re kind of stranded.
Through his work, Carl Eaton, director of the Not Just Tourists Orange County California Chapter, has gained a greater understanding of the issues in Cuba.
People who live in Cuba have a deep affection for the island and desire to remain there. But Eaton noted that more individuals are attempting to flee and that the country has witnessed unprecedented migration out of Cuba, adding that many people are at the end of their rope.
In terms of assistance warrants, Cuba is arguably one of the easiest places in the world for travelers who wish to contribute. Eaton stated that they are in need of assistance and will not deter anyone from bringing goods into the nation. Communicating to the traveler that they can make a difference and that this is something they can do is crucial.
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