Sawt Falasteen - UN pushes fuel solution for Cuba aid work amid US talks

Francisco Pichon, the UN coordinator in Cuba, said the $94.1 million plan was proposed to keep critical services running for the country's most vulnerable people and "save lives."

"If the current situation continues and the country's fuel reserves are exhausted, we do fear a rapid deterioration, with the potential loss of life," Pichon told reporters including AFP.

"The feasibility and implementation of this action plan obviously depend on fuel solutions," he said.

US President Donald Trump imposed a de facto oil blockade on Cuba in January, deepening an energy and economic crisis as he squeezes the communist government.

The UN has been in talks with Washington to allow fuel in for humanitarian purposes.

Pichon said the action plan and a "fuel traceability model" were being proposed "as instruments to try to reach an agreement, a pathway to gain access to fuel."

He said a fuel monitoring plan was needed "to ensure that it goes to the critical, essential services that are prioritized in the plan."

"All solutions are being considered, including working with the non-state sector," he said.

Washington slightly eased the embargo last month to allow oil sales to Cuba's small private sector.

Pichon said the plan was presented to dozens of diplomats and representatives of international NGOs on Tuesday. US diplomats were invited, but Pichon said he did not know if they were there.

The UN's plan is an expansion of its response to Hurricane Melissa, which slammed Cuba in October, to include the humanitarian impact of the energy crisis.

UN staff have been largely unable to carry out field work and UN agencies are having difficulty retrieving aid shipments from Havana's airports.

UN chief Antonio Guterres warned last month that Cuba risked a humanitarian "collapse" if it were denied oil.

Cubans have endured regular blackouts that can last more than 20 hours, with two nationwide outages last week alone.

President Miguel Diaz-Canel has imposed emergency measures to conserve fuel, including strict fuel rationing.

E.Qaddoumi--SF-PST