Anglican Communion secretary general to join ecumenical solidarity visit to Cuba

[Anglican Communion News Service] Anglican Communion Secretary General Anthony Poggo will join a high-level international ecumenical delegation on a solidarity visit to Cuba, March 28-31. The visit aims to respond to the island’s deepening humanitarian crisis and growing global concern over the impact of economic sanctions on its people.

The visit comes as ecumenical organizations increasingly warn of the humanitarian consequences of long-standing sanctions and newly intensified restrictions affecting fuel supplies to Cuba. The United Nations recently announced the need for a revised plan of action that addresses the “cascading effect on essential services such as health care, education, sanitation and the availability of food and water” and the “constraints on humanitarian operations.” The United Nations heard from its representative in Havana on March 26 that dwindling energy reserves were creating “acute humanitarian risks,” as 90% of essential services in the nation rely on oil. This includes 5 million people living with chronic illnesses whose treatments are at risk of disruption and 1 million people who rely on tanker trucks for drinking water.

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