UN rights chief calls for US to lift Cuba oil embargo

The United Nations’ top human rights official has issued an urgent call for the United States to lift its oil embargo and economic sanctions on Cuba, warning they are causing a severe humanitarian crisis and leading to the deaths of children. In a statement on Monday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said the measures imposed since early 2026 are directly harming the Cuban population, particularly the most vulnerable.

Türk stated that fuel restrictions and recent extraterritorial sanctions have crippled essential services, depriving the island of 10 million people of reliable access to water, food, and healthcare. He reported that infant mortality has doubled to 9.9 per 1,000 births and childhood cancer survival rates have fallen from 85 percent to 65 percent since the fuel restrictions began. Essential medicines are in critical short supply, with supply levels down to about 30 percent.

"Children are dying because doctors lack access to essential medical supplies and medicines. This is unacceptable," Türk said. "These sanctions must be lifted immediately."

The crisis stems from a series of actions by the U.S. government. In late January, following the capture of...