US Secretary of State Marco Rubio Announces Cuba Accepts $100 Million of Aid with Over Half Routed Via Catholic Relief Services

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Cuba has accepted an offer of $100 million in American humanitarian aid. This package, intended to bypass the communist government, is being delivered via independent charities like the Catholic Church. [1, 2, 3]

At the same time, the US has heavily targeted Cuba's financial flow through strict economic pressure. [1, 2]

$100 Million Aid Offer

In May 2026, the US State Department introduced a $100 million humanitarian aid package designed to combat Cuba's escalating crisis. [1, 2]

• The Core Condition: The funding must go entirely toward food, medicine, and hygiene kits for everyday citizens. No money is permitted to pass through the Cuban regime. [1, 2, 3, 4]
• Distribution Channel: To ensure the funds reach citizens directly, the US routed the shipments using Catholic Relief Services and local parish representatives. [1]
• Political Tensions: Cuban officials initially dismissed the offer as a neocolonial "lie". However, following intense closed-door discussions with the Trump administration, Cuba formally accepted the terms. [1, 2, 3, 4]

CRS Receives $60 Million for Humanitarian Response in Cuba

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, July 21, 2026 – Catholic Relief Services (CRS) welcomes today’s announcement by the U.S. Department of State of a $60 million award to expand humanitarian assistance to vulnerable families across Cuba.

The award will enable CRS, in partnership with Caritas Cuba, to provide emergency food and hygiene supplies to nearly 200,000 households, or more than half a million people, across the country and essential household items – including mattresses and blankets – to another 7,000 people who need them.

The new award builds on CRS and Caritas Cuba’s ongoing emergency response following Hurricane Melissa, which focuses on four dioceses in eastern Cuba, as families across the island continue to struggle with worsening food insecurity and hunger, prolonged fuel shortages and limited access to basic services.

“Families in Cuba are facing growing hardship as they struggle to put food on the table, access clean water and meet other basic needs,” said Sean Callahan, president and CEO of Catholic Relief Services. “This support will allow CRS and our long-standing partner, Caritas Cuba, to significantly expand humanitarian assistance through the Catholic Church's trusted network, reaching vulnerable families with the help they urgently need.”

CRS has partnered with Caritas Cuba for more than three decades, working through the Catholic Church's nationwide network to reach vulnerable communities across the island. The expanded response is expected to begin later this year.

Information about Catholic Relief Services

Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. The agency alleviates suffering and provides assistance to people in need in more than 90 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding. For more information, visit www.crs.org or www.crs.org/es and follow Catholic Relief Services on social media in English at Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and YouTube; and in Spanish at: Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.

Source - https://www.crs.org/news/crs-receives-60-million-humanitarian-response-cuba