Canada to Deploy USD5.8M in Humanitarian Aid to Cuba

(MENAFN) Canada announced Wednesday it will immediately deploy 8 million Canadian dollars — approximately 5.8 million U.S. dollars — in emergency humanitarian aid to Cuba, as the island nation's deteriorating conditions reach a critical threshold.

The funding was jointly announced by Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand and Secretary of State for International Development Randeep Sarai, with Global Affairs Canada confirming the money will be released without delay to rapidly scale up food and nutrition support for the country's most vulnerable populations.

The assistance will flow through established multilateral channels, delivered in partnership with the World Food Programme and the United Nations Children's Fund, according to Canada's foreign ministry.

Cuba is reeling under the weight of compounding crises — severe fuel shortages, sweeping prolonged blackouts, and widening barriers to basic food and healthcare access have pushed millions to the brink, Global Affairs Canada stated. The country's energy infrastructure, already under severe strain, was dealt a further blow by Hurricane Melissa last year, deepening the vulnerability of an already battered population.

Anand was unequivocal in framing the move as an autonomous decision, stating it was an independent act of Canadian foreign policy — a pointed signal amid heightened geopolitical scrutiny over foreign engagement with Havana.

The announcement positions Ottawa as one of the few Western governments moving toward Cuba at a moment when others, most notably Washington, are tightening their grip on the island's access to critical resources.

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