Canada announced this Wednesday that it will “immediately” provide Cuba with 8 million Canadian dollars (5.85 million US dollars) of humanitarian aid for the purchase of food.
The Canadian Government indicated in a statement that, given the worsening energy crisis that the island is experiencing, it is providing aid to “expand access to food and nutrition” for Cubans in vulnerable situations.
The humanitarian situation in Cuba is rapidly worsening. That is why, alongside my colleague the Secretary of State for International Development, @randeepssaraiI announced $8 million in immediate humanitarian assistance to provide food security and nutrition assistance to…
— Anita Anand (@AnitaAnandMP) February 25, 2026
Ottawa explained that the funds will be given to “trusted” partners with the World Food Program and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) which will guarantee that aid “reaches directly to the Cuban people.”
“Canada continues to monitor the situation in Cuba and maintains close contact with its partners to assess and respond to changing needs,” the statement added.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, Anita Anand, stated this Wednesday in statements to the media that Ottawa has not discussed with Washington the distribution of humanitarian aid to Cuba.
“This is Canada’s foreign policy and we are focused on the humanitarian situation,” he said.
Canada prepares aid plan for Cuba amid crisis aggravated by US oil blockade
Previously, in the statement that reported on humanitarian aid, the Canadian minister said that “while the people of Cuba face significant difficulties, Canada stands in solidarity and is providing specific aid to address urgent needs.”
Canada is the main source of tourists for Cuba. In 2025, some 754 thousand Canadians chose the Caribbean country as a tourist destination, 12.4% less than in 2024, according to official Cuban figures.
But since energy block imposed by the US, Canadian airlines have been forced to suspend their flights to the island due to the lack of fuel for aviation, which is dealing a significant blow to the Cuban economy.
Cuba loses its main source of tourists after the suspension of flights from Canada
