US sends first tranche of $100 million aid package to Cuba

The United States on Tuesday dispatched the first shipment of a proposed $100 million humanitarian aid package to Cuba, as the island continues to grapple with a deepening economic crisis.

According to the US State Department, a flight carrying pre-packaged food and hygiene kits for up to 700 Cuban families was scheduled to depart from Miami.

The aid will be distributed directly through the Catholic Church rather than the Cuban government. Washington said the arrangement is intended to ensure the supplies reach those in need and prevent any diversion or misuse by Cuban authorities.

The US has previously relied on Catholic organisations to deliver humanitarian assistance to Cuba. Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, the two countries coordinated the delivery of approximately $9 million worth of aid through similar channels.

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio first proposed the $100 million assistance package in May, alongside a broader effort by the Trump administration to increase pressure on Cuba's communist leadership.

In recent months, Washington has tightened sanctions on the island, intensified restrictions on oil supplies and filed criminal charges against former Cuban president Raúl Castro, a long-time influential figure in the country's leadership.

The tightening of US measures has contributed to a severe fuel shortage in Cuba, which has in turn led to several nationwide power outages in recent weeks.

President Donald Trump has also suggested that Cuba could become the next focus of his administration's foreign policy after the January military operation that removed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, one of Havana's closest allies, from power.