The Government of Cuba asked the World Food Program (WFP) for help for the first time, due to the difficulties in continuing to distribute milk to children under seven years of age, the UN specialized agency confirmed on Wednesday.
According to PAM, the executive management of the organization, which defines itself as “the largest humanitarian organization in the world”, received an official communication from Havana and is already sending powdered milk to the Caribbean island.
“We confirm that PAM has received an official message from the (Cuban) Government requesting support to continue the monthly distribution of one kilogram of milk intended for girls and boys under the age of seven throughout the country,” the WFP delegation on the island said in writing. , cited by the Spanish news agency Efe.
Referring to an “urgent need”, the United Nations Program highlighted “the importance of this request”, especially in the context of the “deep economic crisis that Cuba is facing”, which is “significantly affecting the food and nutritional security of the population”.
The Havana executive did not publicize either the request or the first international contributions, despite talking about the problem for weeks.
The multilateral organization also confirmed that “it is the first time that Cuba has asked for help by sending an official communication to the highest level of WFP management”, although the program has had several projects on the island for some time.
According to two sources with knowledge of the request, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment (Mincex) sent the letter to the PAM executive board, in Rome, at the end of last year.
Following this letter, WFP indicated that this month it managed to deliver “144 tons of skimmed milk powder”, benefiting almost 48,000 children aged between seven months and three years in Pinar del Río and Havana. This number corresponds to just 6% of the children to whom the Government intends to distribute subsidized milk.
Furthermore, according to the PAM, the Cuban request “does not mention an explicit deadline” – it does not ask for support for a limited period of time –, so the multilateral agency is trying to “mobilize additional resources”.
“We are in constant dialogue with traditional and non-traditional donors, exploring various options that facilitate both donation and financing,” stated PAM.
Milk has been a scarce commodity in Cuba for years, although in general children up to the age of seven (and people with special diets) can count on a certain amount of powdered milk per month, through a ration card, so o I obtained a highly subsidized price (2.5 pesos per kilo, around 19 euro cents).
However, the availability of milk by the State has deteriorated in recent months. Some provinces have reduced priority population numbers or reduced the quantities they deliver, while others have achieved distribution of vitaminized drinks as replacements.
The Minister of Internal Trade, Betsy Díaz Velázquez, declared in mid-February that national milk production is insufficient and that there are problems importing the necessary quantity, which is why the State is unable to meet the demand for “more than 2,000 tons ” months of milk for children under seven years of age and people with special dietary needs.
It is possible to find liquid and powdered milk in Cuba in some companies in the country’s incipient private sector, but at prices that are inaccessible to the vast majority of Cubans: a kilo of powdered milk can cost between 1,500 and 2,000 pesos (58 and 77 euros) , when the average monthly salary is 4,200 pesos (about 160 euros).
Cuba’s chronic economic difficulties degenerated three years ago into a serious crisis due to the pandemic, the worsening of the United States’ economic assessments and national macroeconomic, commercial and monetary policy decisions.
The situation is especially flagrant in the shortage of basic necessities (food, fuel and medicine). Cuba imports 80% of what it consumes and has serious problems obtaining the currency it needs to import goods.
In recent months, many of the products that are still included on the ration card, such as rice, coffee and oil, have been distributed irregularly or in minimal quantities.
As long as queues around the warehouses that deliver subsidized products are permanent.
Recently, the Government reported that it was unable to guarantee the supply of bread through the ration card in February and March, due to flour supply problems.