The Government of South Korea donated more than 24 thousand tons of rice to Cuba, at a time when the island is suffering a worsening of its economic and financial crisis that significantly affects food imports and domestic production on the island.
In total, there are 24,600 tons of rice donated by the Asian country, which will be allocated to people in vulnerable situations and pregnant women throughout the country. as reported by the United Nations System in Cuba.
Half of the cargo was unloaded in the port of Santiago de Cuba, with the objective of doubling for five months the quotas that the World Food Program (WFP) distributes to the prioritized population in the eastern provinces.
Likewise, the quota for vulnerable and pregnant people will also be doubled, who will receive this aid bimonthly for 1 year, according to the international entity.
Already in the port of Santiago de Cuba, 24,600 MT of rice donated by the Korean Ministry of Agriculture to #WFPCubawhich will allow the delivery of this food to be doubled in the eastern provinces and reach vulnerable and pregnant people throughout the country for 1 year. pic.twitter.com/mu9sgO4aG3
— WFP Cuba (@WFP_Cuba) December 24, 2025
For the rest of Cuba
After half of the donation is unloaded in the port of Santiago, the rest will continue towards Havana, where the other half will be unloaded.
The same, according to the United Nations, will also be used to double deliveries to vulnerable and pregnant people, in this case from the remaining provinces of the country, “also in a bimonthly delivery modality until completing one year.”
The organization highlighted that “thanks to this international collaboration, food security is reinforced and national coverage is guaranteed for those who need it most.”
In addition, the assistance “will allow us to expand the emergency response and support the recovery of communities affected by recent meteorological phenomena, such as Hurricane Melissa,” notes, for its part, a note from the Cuban News Agency (ACN).
Korean rice donation It had already been announced last October by Seoul’s ambassador in Havana, Lee Ho-Yul. Then, the diplomat said that since 2020, his country’s International Cooperation Agency has been promoting projects together with the WFP “to strengthen food supply systems” in eastern Cuba.
In this way, South Korea joins other donors of food, and in particular rice, to the Caribbean nation, such as China and Vietnam, although it does not have the political affinity of these countries with Cuba and its effective diplomatic ties They only date from last year.
