The trash crisis in Havana is filling the streets with garbage, cardboard, plastic bottles, food scraps, you name it, which is not just an eyesore, but people are worried about what all this waste means for their health. There just isn’t enough fuel to keep garbage trucks running, thanks to stricter U.S. sanctions cutting off oil supplies to Cuba.

Right now, out of 106 garbage trucks, only 44 are actually working, which means trash keeps piling up, and collection crews just can’t keep up. Jose Ramon Cruz, who lives in Havana, put it simply: “It’s been more than 10 days since a garbage truck came.” You can smell the problem before you see it: flies everywhere, the stink of rotting food drifting through whole neighborhoods.

Sanctions, Suppliers, and Geopolitical Effects

The current situation is also connected to other geopolitical issues. The Cuban national oil supply has been significantly reduced over the past few months due to the country’s regular suppliers, including Venezuela, ceasing deliveries as of mid-December 2025. Mexico also suspended deliveries due to threats of U.S. tariffs against nations that export oil to Cuba.

The United States, which has had a long-standing embargo against Cuba since the 1960s, has taken a tougher stance against the country due to new U.S. administration policies that have included sanctioning ships carrying oil to the country in an attempt to apply political pressure. However, this policy has been criticized for having severe humanitarian effects due to the failure of essential services in the country.

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Health Hazards and Worldwide Reaction

Individuals living in Havana (the capital) throughout a nation of about 11 million people have raised alarms via social media sites regarding health threats attributable to the increase in refuse left uncollected in many areas of the country. When garbage isn’t picked up for several days, health and sanitary conditions enter into a rapid downgrade, threatening disease outbreak(s), and a lack of sanitation services would create additional environmental damage.

“Globally,” the United Nations has expressed serious concern for the public health threat related to the amount of trash accumulating in Cuba, and stated that it believes dialogue, along with humanitarian assistance through programs, would help alleviate the trash crisis in Cuba, thus fostering future relations with Cuba.

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Trash Crisis Spurs Broader Worries

Reports are identifying that Russia may supply crude oil and fuel to Cuba; however, more than this, we cannot ascertain when that would occur and what types of crude oil would be sent. The trash crisis in Havana shows how energy and public services are interdependent, and the tranquilizing of government policy can lead to a humanitarian and ecological crisis occurring anywhere in the world.

However, this policy has been criticized for having severe humanitarian effects due to the failure of essential services in the country. State-run news keeps showing images of overflowing sidewalks and people weaving around heaps of rubbish on their way to work or school.

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