Havana, Cuba – November 21, 2025 – A United Nations human rights expert has called on the United States to lift its long-standing sanctions on Cuba, warning that the trade and financial restrictions have caused severe humanitarian impacts across the island nation. Alena Douhan, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights, emphasized during her visit to Havana that these sanctions, often referred to as the U.S. trade embargo, are in violation of numerous international legal norms and continue to exacerbate hardships for ordinary Cuban citizens.

Speaking at a press conference in Havana, Douhan highlighted that the sanctions have negatively affected Cuba’s healthcare system, education, and food security, placing millions of Cubans in vulnerable conditions. “The embargo has substantially worsened the humanitarian situation in Cuba and has been designed to block the country from accessing essential economic revenue, particularly in hard currency,” she stated.

Douhan’s remarks align with the views of a majority of United Nations member states, who last month overwhelmingly voted in favor of ending the U.S. economic embargo on Cuba. While the UN resolution carries significant global political weight, only the United States Congress has the authority to lift the Cold War-era sanctions.

The U.S. State Department responded by rejecting claims that sanctions are responsible for Cuba’s ongoing economic difficulties, instead attributing the crisis to the policies of the island’s communist government. A spokesperson noted, “The embargo does not prohibit Cuba’s access to world markets or trade with third countries. U.S. law explicitly allows the export of food, medicine, and medical equipment to Cuba.”

During her visit, which began last week, Douhan met with representatives from both Cuba’s public and private sectors to assess the real-world impact of the embargo. Her visit comes at a time of acute economic crisis in the country, which has led to depleted public coffers, decimated tourism revenues, and severe shortages of food, fuel, and medicine. The crisis has also contributed to a record-breaking exodus of Cubans seeking better living conditions abroad.

The Trump administration significantly intensified sanctions against Cuba, returning the island to the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, tightening rules on remittances, and rolling back migration programs established under the Biden administration. These moves have compounded the economic pressure on Cuba and worsened social and humanitarian challenges on the island.

Douhan’s visit and call for lifting sanctions underscore the ongoing debate between international human rights concerns and U.S. foreign policy priorities. Experts argue that ending or easing the embargo could help alleviate humanitarian suffering and foster greater engagement between the United States and Cuba.