Canada Moves to Aid Cuba as U.S. Oil Pressure Deepens Island’s Energy and Health Crisis
Canada announced it is preparing an aid package for cuba as the island reels from severe fuel shortages and rolling blackouts tied to a tightening U. S. oil blockade. The decision underscores rising international concern over the immediate humanitarian and operational impacts on Cuba’s hospitals, ambulances and air links.
Development details: Cuba aid and official actions
On Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, Canada’s Foreign Minister Anita Anand said her government is working on a plan to assist, but she declined to provide specifics about the contents or timing of the package. Global Affairs Canada has previously identified Canada as the second-largest source of direct investment on the island, with notable exposure in tourism and mining sectors—ties that are now threatened by a collapse in aviation fuel and broader energy shortages.
Air Canada and other carriers have already canceled flights to the island because of a shortage of aviation fuel. Mexico has signaled it will join in providing aid, creating a small multilateral response to the crisis sparked by halted shipments from Venezuela and a new U. S. executive action targeting oil trade with the island.
Context and escalation
Fuel deliveries from Venezuela, Cuba’s main supplier, were halted in early January after a U. S. military action that also led to the detention of Venezuelan leadership, a move that immediately disrupted the island’s lifeline. Mexico then suspended shipments under U. S. pressure. The situation intensified when a U. S. executive order was issued last month to impose a tariff on any country that sells or provides oil to Cuba, sharply narrowing Havana’s options for imports.
Cuba produces roughly 40% of the fuel it consumes and has historically relied on partners such as Venezuela, Mexico and Russia to fill the gap. The recent interruptions have therefore created an acute shortfall that has translated quickly into service disruptions across the economy and public services.
Immediate impact
The effects on daily life and critical services are measurable and growing. Cuba is experiencing widespread blackouts, bus routes have been drastically cut, and gasoline is being rationed and sold primarily in foreign currency. Hospitals face persistent outages and declining capacity: ambulances are struggling to find fuel, flights that bring essential supplies are being suspended because Cuba cannot refuel aircraft, and medical facilities are operating with diminished power backups.
Health authorities have warned that roughly 5 million people living with chronic illnesses will see their medications or treatments affected. Among those most vulnerable are an estimated 16, 000 cancer patients who require radiotherapy and about 12, 400 undergoing chemotherapy. Critical services listed as most impacted include cardiovascular care, orthopedics, oncology, kidney disease treatment and emergency ambulance services—areas that depend on reliable electricity and fuel for transport and lifesaving equipment.
What makes this notable is the convergence of a longstanding fragile health system with an abrupt and diplomatic-driven energy cutoff, producing immediate risks to patient care that are measurable in both the number of affected people and the types of services compromised.
Forward outlook
Officials in Ottawa have not released a timetable or details for the aid package beyond the announcement that planning is underway. Canada’s move is one of the first public confirmations from a major partner that it is preparing assistance; Mexico has already indicated it will participate. The next confirmed milestones to watch are any formal Canadian disclosures of the aid composition and the operational steps that will allow fuel, medical supplies or other assistance to reach the island under the current trade constraints.
Cuba’s health minister has framed the energy squeeze as more than an economic pressure point, saying it risks “basic human safety” by directly affecting care. The immediate routing of international assistance and whether airlines resume scheduled services will determine how quickly hospitals and emergency services can stabilize in the coming days and weeks.
