The Ministry of Domestic Trade (Mincin) said that there is no certainty that products are available in the basic basket through the ration book until the second week of September.
Instead, spaghetti will only be distributed to groups classified as vulnerable, a measure that seeks to ease food shortages amid Cuba’s growing economic crisis.
Eduardo Morales, director of the Wholesale Trade Company in Villa Clara, confirmed in an interview with local radio CMHW that, due to the lack of products in warehouses, we have to rely on ships that come with imported products.
Of the international donations that have arrived on the Island, only spaghetti is available, but it is only enough for the most needy, according to the government’s list. The beneficiaries of this limited delivery are vulnerable people with Social Assistance, as well as pregnant women and overweight children, who will receive a small amount of spaghetti as the only product available.
The distribution will be directed primarily to Villa Clara, although other areas are expected to receive this grant as well. Morales explained that the distribution will be done gradually, depending on the availability of products, but he warned that the quantities are very limited.
Spaghetti is the only food available to vulnerable groups this month. According to Morales, the lack of other products in warehouses has prevented a wider supply to the general population.
“In the next few hours, the leadership of the country will decide whether any other product will be available in the basic basket for September,” Morales said. However, the possibility of more food is likely to come remote access.
The news comes at a critical time for Cuba, where food shortages have worsened in recent months. The dependence on international donations and the lack of national production have left many families in a very vulnerable situation.
