Cubans queue for water in Havana amid fuel and power crisis

Record ID: 2367629

  • Title: Cubans queue for water in Havana amid fuel and power crisis
  • Date: 20th March 2026
  • Summary: HAVANA, CUBA (MARCH 19, 2026) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF HAVANA RESIDENTS GATHERING TO FILL WATER CONTAINERS FROM A WATER TRUCK VARIOUS OF HAVANA RESIDENT, LAZARO NOBLET, WALKING DOWN THE STREET PUSHING A SMALL HANDCART, TRANSPORTING CONTAINERS TO FILL THEM WITH WATER (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) HAVANA RESIDENT, LAZARO NOBLET, SAYING: "This area is now having water problems. People ar
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: Cuba Havana Water crisis oil blockade
  • Location: HAVANA, CUBA
  • City: HAVANA, CUBA
  • Country: Cuba
  • Topics: South America / Central America,Society/Social Issues
  • Reuters ID: LVA001572919032026RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Residents in parts of Havana collected water from tanker trucks on Thursday (March 19) as a new shortage hit neighbourhoods in the Cuban capital amid fuel and electricity problems. 
    People lined the streets with buckets and containers, while others hauled water home by handcart and hose.
    Residents Lazaro Noblet, Maria de Jesus Rusindo and Alfonso Pedro Gonzalez said the lack of running water meant they had to wait for tanker deliveries, carry water manually and boil what they collected before drinking it. 
    According to state company Aguas de La Habana, recent pumping schedules and regular water supply operations were affected by a lack of electricity. Local newspaper Tribuna de La Habana reported that fuel shortages caused delays in pumping schedules and damage to mechanical and electronic equipment because of voltage fluctuations. 
    Water scarcity has for years been one of the main day-to-day problems in Havana because of ageing and deteriorating infrastructure, affecting between 100,000 and 200,000 residents, according to official figures. 
    Cuba's electricity grid suffered another collapse on March 16, leaving much of the country without power and worsening pressure on water distribution systems.
    (Production: Alien Fernandez, Anett Rios, Hugo Monnet)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2026. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register