US embassy issues health alert for Cuba amid oil blockade, sanctions

HAVANA: The US embassy in Havana issued a health alert for Cuba on Friday, warning travelers and residents of a spike in intestinal illnesses and diarrhea caused by failing water and electricity supply, even as the Trump administration continued to hold back fuel shipments necessary for power generation on the island. “The US Embassy has noted a significant increase in diarrheal illness across Cuba, associated with the continuing degradation of the water and energy infrastructure,” the alert stated. “This degradation affects water supply, and food storage and temperature control.” The US warning comes nine months after the Trump administration imposed a fuel blockade on the communist-run island, contributing to a sharp spike in power cuts and complicating refrigeration and sanitary measures in homes and businesses. UN-appointed human rights experts have called the Trump fuel blockade a violation of international law. A team of UN experts in August warned of a growing risk of disease outbreaks on the island as the US has tightened sanctions. “The humanitarian consequences are already unfolding into a full-blown crisis, threatening the rights to health, to life, to food and to develo