The government of Santiago de Cuba has recently announced a severe shortage of powdered milk, leaving children between the ages of 2 and 6 without this essential commodity. This situation further exacerbates the already critical food shortages plaguing the province.
According to a statement released on Facebook by the company Lácteos Santiago de Cuba, the current distribution is restricted to children under the age of one. These infants will receive an additional supplement of 10 days' worth of milk, totaling 20 days throughout November. However, the statement fails to specify when additional supplies will arrive, leaving many parents anxious and uncertain.
For children who are one year old, milk provisions are only guaranteed until November 23rd, putting families with slightly older children in a precarious position. The inability to provide milk for children aged 2 to 6 underscores the system's struggle to ensure basic necessities for its most vulnerable citizens.
This decision has sparked criticism and concern among residents of Santiago de Cuba, who rely heavily on these allocations to feed their children amid a profound economic and social crisis.
Implications of the Milk Shortage
In response to the public's outcry, the company clarified in the comments section that there is no powdered milk available nationwide for children aged 2 to 6. This revelation poses a particularly challenging situation for mothers of this age group, although the company felt it was necessary to communicate the harsh reality.
Regarding the distribution policy, it was explained that decisions are made by the Ministries after prior consultation, and the company is not responsible for determining the milk's allocation. The priority is given to the youngest, as even though children aged 2 to 6 are also in need, there simply isn't enough product to go around.
Nationwide Challenges and Historical Context
In addition to the scarcity, widespread power outages have deprived young children of the milk they desperately need. In October, over 11,200 children in the province of Matanzas were unable to receive milk in the final week due to a blackout that left all of Cuba without electricity for five days. This power failure disrupted the national electrical system, preventing the milk from being refrigerated before its industrial processing, as revealed by authorities on Wednesday.
However, this is not a new issue, and previous attempts to address it have been far from straightforward. In February, officials in Ciego de Ávila announced that children aged three to seven, as well as those with chronic illnesses requiring special diets, would receive only half a liter of milk and a portion of vitamin-fortified instant drink due to the ongoing powdered milk shortage.
In August, a group of Cuban mothers expressed their outrage over the failure to distribute milk to children in Havana's stores, despite the month nearing its end. "Today is August 22nd, and at my store in Cerro, we've only received 700 grams of milk per child over three years old this entire month," lamented a woman on the Facebook group "Cuban Mothers for a Better World."