As blackouts regularly surpass 24 hours across Havana due to a US fuel blockade imposed in January, roughly 3.5 million people—nearly half of Cuba’s population—are grappling with severe water shortages that have triggered a spike in viral illnesses, according to official reports and humanitarian assessments.
Water Shortages Cripple Havana Infrastructure
Old Havana resident Yuamilka Hechavarria woke last Tuesday to water rushing into her crumbling tenement’s cistern, prompting her to scramble in the darkness of a blackout to fill a bucket before the tap ran dry. It was the first time her building had seen running water in two months. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, water shortages now affect around 3.5 million Cubans. Cuba’s National Institute of Hydraulic Resources reports that nearly 90% of the city’s antiquated water infrastructure relies on electric-powered pumps, leaving the system highly vulnerable to extended blackouts.
Surge in Viral Illnesses and Public Health Alarms
Hygiene has deteriorated sharply across the capital. Hechavarria, a healthcare worker, stated that diarrhea has run rampant through her 30-family tenement, noting, “There’s no one in this building who hasn’t gotten sick.” Cuban health authorities warned of spreading viruses, including a strain of viral hepatitis, while a US health alert issued earlier this month warned travelers and residents of a “significant increase in diarrheal illness across Cuba, associated with the continuing degradation of the water and energy infrastructure.” Nurse Maria Elena Parlado, who works at a local neighborhood clinic, reported that even the medical facility lacks water, forcing her to treat patients amid fast-spreading outbreaks without reliable handwashing capabilities.
Daily Survival Tactics Amid Extended Blackouts
Residents rely on makeshift methods to secure daily necessities. Hechavarria’s husband pushes a homemade handcart fitted with two large barrels at least once weekly to a pipe jutting from a local school wall. When classes are in session and electrical power is available, the school operates an electric pump to push water into an alleyway. Andres Jimenez, a 76-year-old retired metal worker, arrived at the school pipe on a recent weekday morning just as the power failed, leaving only a trickle. Meanwhile, Hechavarria uses her damaged refrigerator—ruined by a recent power surge—to store medicine, beans, and rice rather than cold food, while reusing dirty dishwater to clean floors and flush toilets.
Blackouts and fuel blockades cripple Havana water pumps
Why are water shortages so severe in Havana?
According to Cuba’s National Institute of Hydraulic Resources, nearly 90% of Havana’s water infrastructure depends on electric-powered pumps. Extended blackouts surpassing 24 hours, exacerbated by a US fuel blockade imposed in January, have crippled these systems.
How many people are affected by the water crisis in Cuba?
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that around 3.5 million people, or just under half of the island’s population, suffer from water shortages.
What health issues are linked to the infrastructure failure?
A US health alert issued earlier this month warned of a significant increase in diarrheal illness, and Cuban health authorities have reported the spread of viruses, including a strain of viral hepatitis.
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