U.S. announces $6 million more in humanitarian aid for Cuba; total rises to $9 million under administration
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Summary
The State Department’s Spanish-language spokesperson said Washington will send an additional $6,000,000 to hurricane-affected Cuban households, bringing total U.S. humanitarian assistance under the administration to $9,000,000 and using prepacked shipments routed through faith-based partners for direct distribution.
The United States will provide an additional $6,000,000 in humanitarian assistance for Cubans affected by recent hurricanes, the State Department’s Spanish‑language spokeswoman, Natalia Molano, told a Spanish‑language program on Thursday. She said the new funds add to a previously committed $3,000,000, bringing the total under the administration to $9,000,000.
“Jeremy Lewin made an official announcement last Thursday, Feb. 5, of $6,000,000 in additional humanitarian aid,” Molano said. She described the aid as intended to reach Cuban households directly and said the United States will channel the funds the same way it did the earlier tranche because “it has worked.”
Molano said the delivery method relies on partnerships with the Catholic Church and Cáritas, which use volunteers—she noted many are women working in remote, rural eastern regions—to distribute pre‑packed household packages. The packages are prepared in Miami and transported by airplane and by commercial vessels directly to Cuba, she said, a process designed to make diversion by the Cuban government more difficult.
“We are measuring beneficiaries on a household basis,” Molano said, adding that packages contain basic household needs and are aimed at specific families the partners can reach. She said Embassy personnel, including the ambassador, plan to travel to monitor deliveries “as soon as travel is permitted” to ensure distributions occur as intended.
Molano added that shipments will continue “so long as the regime does not obstruct our deliveries,” and framed the assistance as part of broader U.S. efforts to respond to a long‑running humanitarian crisis in Cuba.
No further operational details (exact shipment dates, lists of beneficiary households, or implementing contracts) were specified during the interview. Molano did not describe any U.S. restrictions or legal authorities tied to the shipments beyond characterizing them as humanitarian aid.
The State Department’s continued use of faith‑based partners and pre‑packaged shipments signals a focus on direct household delivery and monitoring; Molano said Washington will maintain the approach while seeking to limit interference by the Cuban authorities.
