MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Embassy in Mexico, through its Assistance-to-Nationals section, sent food and medicines to Filipinos in Havana as Cuba reeled from the economic crisis caused by the United States' fuel blockade on the island.
The embassy has jurisdiction over Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and Domincan Republic.
The United Nations in February warned of potential humanitarian “collapse” in Cuba, following Washington’s attempt to block oil supplies from reaching the island.
There are 27 Filipinos as of June 2019. The embassy last March 21, 2026 sent a total of 120 kilograms of care packages containing basic goods, hygiene kits and medicines.
"They were distributed to Filipinos in Cuba who have been affected by the ongoing oil crisis and economic challenges in the country," the embassy posted on Facebook.
The beneficiaries "conveyed their utmost appreciation to the Philippine government for the timely assistance, emphasizing that such support reassures them that they are not forgotten, especially in times of crisis," the embassy said.
The Philippines closed down its embassy in Havana on Oct. 12, 2012. Manila and Havana were supposed to celebrate 70 years of diplomatic ties on July 4, 2016. Back then, Cuba was under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC.
The welfare assistance was made possible through the support provided by the Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of the Undersecretary for Migration Affairs.
The European Commission has released an additional €2 million or over $2.3 million in humanitarian aid to Cuba in view of the worsening humanitarian conditions there, the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) said.
The BBC reported on Tuesday that a Russian-owned tanker carrying about 730,000 barrels of crude oil had docked on the northern coast of Cuba, ending a near-total fuel blockade by the US on the island.
President Donald Trump last week said that he had "no problem" with sending fuel to Cuba, which has experienced a series of blackouts due to chronic fuel shortages and aging infrastructure.
The fund will "contribute to provide logistics support to humanitarian partners delivering urgent relief to the most vulnerable, due to the current energy crisis and related difficulties on the distribution of food and drinking water," the ECHO said on Wednesday.
"This funding adds to the €4 million already approved earlier this year as a regional allocation for the Caribbean, which has been dedicated mainly to address increasing needs in Cuba," the ECHO said in a statement.
It also follows the assistance provided last year after hurricane Melissa caused extensive damage in the island. In 2025, a total of nearly €6 million was mobilized for disaster preparedness and emergency response in Cuba.