In the first half of 2025, the food crisis in Cuba has ceased to be a circumstantial consequence and has solidified into a chronic humanitarian emergency.
Thus denounced the Food Monitor Program (FMP), an independent organization that monitors food (in)security on the island, in a comprehensive report published on its social media under the title “State Abandonment Increases Hunger in Cuba.”
According to the FMP, hunger in Cuba can no longer be explained by external or temporary factors; rather, it is a direct reflection of a failing economic model and a state apparatus that has abdicated its most fundamental duty: to ensure access to essential goods and services.
The organization notes that the structural food shortage and nutritional poverty have ceased to be exceptions and have become the norm, affecting millions of people across the country.
One of the most symbolic examples of the collapse, argues the FMP, is the supply booklet. What for decades was presented as an instrument of equity and food security now represents merely a mechanism for managing helplessness.
It no longer guarantees access to basic nutrients; instead, it organizes, with a bureaucratic facade, a chronic scarcity.
The situation becomes even more dire when looking at the nutritional data: an average Cuban household of four, the FMP warns, receives monthly amounts of food that only meet between 20% and 30% of the daily calorie intake recommended by the World Health Organization.
Caloric poverty, once exceptional, has become normalized and accepted as part of everyday life.
School food also reflects this decline. The FMP denounces that what is served in many schools across the country "is not food, but humiliation": dishes in a deplorable state, lacking any nutritional value, which compromise the physical and mental development of girls and boys.
Far from providing a safe environment for children, schools replicate the same shortcomings that affect the rest of the population.
Citizen reports, for their part, paint an even more harrowing picture: spoiled food, minimal rations, and the systematic absence of essential products have become part of daily life.
In response to this, the government remains silent or repeats a narrative of stability that, according to the latest FMP survey, is refuted by 96.91% of the population, who claim to have difficulties accessing food.
This collapse is compounded by the fragility of the import system: with between 70% and 80% of the food consumed in Cuba coming from abroad, the lack of foreign currency, deteriorated infrastructure, and frequent blackouts worsen the situation.
At the same time, national production is virtually at a standstill. Obsolete agricultural equipment, unproductive land, and policies that penalize private initiative have emptied the countryside and devastated agriculture, with declines of up to 67% in recent years.
The currency store model imposed by the government has further deepened inequality. Today in Cuba, eating with dignity depends on whether one has access to dollars or not. Hunger thus becomes a form of social and economic segregation.
"Hunger not only deteriorates bodies," warns the FMP in the final part of its report. "It also breaks bonds, dissolves life projects, and destroys public trust in the state, in institutions, and in the future."
Far from being a temporary emergency, hunger in Cuba is now a deep fracture in the social fabric. A fracture that, if not addressed with responsibility and political will, could continue to widen until it becomes irreparable.
Previously, FMP warned that food insecurity in Cuba had ceased to be a warning and had turned into a daily and alarming reality: one in four residents has had to go to bed without dinner in recent months.
According to the report "There is Hunger in Cuba (2024)", the study is based on a Food Security Survey conducted between May and June of that year among 2,703 households across all provinces of the country, including the Special Municipality of Isla de la Juventud.
In official data analyzed by the platform elToque, malnutrition has become one of the main causes of death, accompanied by the collapse of the penitentiary system where, as reported by Cubalex, inmates have died from extreme hunger and neglect.
Food insecurity is also evident on the streets of the country. Fainting from hunger has been reported in multiple provinces, affecting the elderly, young people, and women.
Many citizens live with a diet limited to one or two meals a day and depend on street solidarity or begging. Even individuals with physical limitations or war veterans ask for help with signs that say "This is for food," as shown in this testimony collected by the Cuban Human Rights Observatory.
Recently, the FMP also warned that more than 9 million people in Cuba are cooking today under precarious, unsanitary, and dangerous conditions.
The figure comes from the analysis of the latest Population and Housing Census of Cuba and from studies by the FMP, which estimate that around 1.7 million households use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), another 2 million rely exclusively on electricity, and approximately 220,000 cook with manufactured gas.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Food Crisis in Cuba
Why is hunger in Cuba considered a chronic emergency?
According to the report from the Food Monitor Program (FMP), hunger in Cuba has ceased to be a temporary issue and has become a chronic humanitarian emergency. This is due to a failed economic model and the inability of the state apparatus to ensure access to essential goods and services. The structural food scarcity and nutritional poverty now affect millions of people across the island.
How does the food crisis affect the Cuban population?
The food crisis has resulted in an average Cuban household of four receiving food that only covers between 20% and 30% of the daily caloric recommendations set by the WHO. Caloric poverty has become normalized, negatively impacting health and physical and mental development, especially in children. Additionally, school meals in many schools are insufficient, which reflects the decline of the food system in the country.
What role does the ration book play in the food crisis in Cuba?
The ration book, which has historically been seen as a tool for equity in Cuba, now represents merely a mechanism for managing chronic scarcity. It no longer guarantees access to basic nutrients; instead, it organizes a scarcity that affects the entire population. This situation is further exacerbated by a lack of imports and the stagnation of national production.
What are the main causes of the food crisis in Cuba?
The food crisis in Cuba is the result of a failed economic model, the dependency on imports that account for between 70% and 80% of consumed food, and the lack of foreign currency. The collapsed infrastructure and frequent blackouts also impact food production and distribution, while policies that penalize private initiative have paralyzed national production.
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