A deepening power crisis in Cuba has forced the British Red Cross to deploy emergency generators to high-rise residential blocks, with the charity warning that the elderly and vulnerable are at risk as blackouts stretch beyond 18 hours a day.
The move comes as the UK Foreign Office confirmed it is monitoring the situation closely. Cuba’s ageing oil-fired power plants have struggled under the weight of fuel shortages, US sanctions, and a struggling economy. The result is a rolling blackout that has paralysed daily life for millions.
“This is a humanitarian crisis unfolding in plain sight,” said James Thompson, director of emergency response at the British Red Cross. “We are seeing people trapped in tower blocks with no water, no light, and no way to cook. For the elderly, this is life-threatening.”
The charity has sent 20 heavy-duty generators to Havana, where the outages have hit hardest. These will be used to power communal areas, water pumps, and medical facilities in high-rise flats. The Red Cross is also distributing solar lanterns and phone charging kits.
For Cubans, the blackouts are the latest blow in a decade-long economic decline. Real wages have collapsed, and the ration card now covers just a fraction of basic needs. In the capital, residents have taken to the streets in rare protests, chanting “We are not afraid” and “We want electricity.”
“It is like living in the dark ages,” said Maria, a 67-year-old retiree living on the 12th floor of a block in Centro Habana. “We cannot run the fridge. The meat rots. We cannot even charge a phone to call our children. The generator is a blessing, but it is not enough. We need a solution.”
The UK government has allocated £500,000 in emergency aid, but critics argue more is needed. “This is a sticking plaster on a gaping wound,” said Sarah Jones, a Labour MP and chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cuba. “The UK must use its diplomatic influence to push for the easing of sanctions that are strangling the Cuban people.”
The US embargo, imposed in 1962, has been tightened under the Trump and Biden administrations. It blocks Cuba from importing spare parts for its power grid and restricts fuel purchases. The Cuban government blames the US for the crisis. The US State Department says the embargo can only be lifted when Cuba democratises.
Meanwhile, the blackouts have exposed deep inequalities. In wealthy neighbourhoods, those with private generators can maintain some semblance of normal life. But in the high-rise blocks that dominate Havana’s skyline, thousands of families are left without power.
“The heat is unbearable,” said Carlos, a 34-year-old factory worker. “You lie awake at night, sweating, listening to the sirens. We are all on edge. People are losing their patience.”
The British Red Cross said its operation would last at least three months, but warned that the crisis showed no signs of abating. “This is not a short-term emergency,” Thompson said. “The underlying issues are structural. We are calling on the international community to step up.”
For the residents of Havana’s tower blocks, the generators offer a glimmer of light. But as the blackouts drag on, the question remains: how much more can they take?
