Cuba Vive appeal reaches an incredible £555,000
Cuba Vive | Wednesday, 2 September 2026 | Click here for original article
Cuban ambassador thanks Cuba Vive supporters
More than £2.5 million worth of aid has already reached Cuba through CSC’s Cuba Vive Appeal – but as the US intensifies its economic war, the need for solidarity has never been greater
The Cuba Vive Appeal has raised an extraordinary £550,000 to provide life-saving medical supplies, equipment and food aid to the Cuban people.
This remarkable achievement has been made possible by thousands of individual acts of solidarity across Britain and internationally. The Cuba Solidarity Campaign (CSC) would like to thank every person who has donated, organised or attended a fundraising event, completed a sponsored challenge, or delivered vital supplies.
Special thanks also go to CSC’s affiliated trade unions, their branches and members, and to the organisations and that have donated medical equipment and other essential supplies.
Since the first shipments left Britain in February 2025, fourteen major consignments, including twelve 40-foot containers have been delivered to Cuba. Together with donated supplies, these represent more than £2.5 million worth of medical equipment, medicines, food and emergency aid reaching hospitals, clinics and communities across the island.
The shipments have included urgently needed medicines, surgical equipment, hospital beds, mobility aids, diagnostic equipment, personal protective equipment and hurricane relief supplies. Six containers of food aid have included rice, beans, lentils and powdered milk for children, pregnant women, and vulnerable families.
Announcing the milestone, CSC Director Rob Miller said:
“Reaching £555,000 is an incredible achievement and a powerful demonstration of the solidarity that exists between the people of Britain and Cuba.
“We want to thank every individual, trade union, CSC group and organisation that has contributed. Whether you donated money, organised an event, took part in a sponsored activity or simply helped spread the word, you have played a part in delivering vital aid and saving lives.
“But this milestone is not the end of the appeal. The humanitarian situation in Cuba is becoming more severe, and we have further consignments lined up and ready to ship. We urgently need people to continue donating so that we can get this aid to the hospitals and communities that need it.”
Cuban Ambassador Ismara Vargas Walter also thanked everyone who has supported the appeal, which began more than two years ago following a UNISON North West delegation to Cuba with CSC.
“This is more than the number. This is about the incredible effort by every single Cuba Solidarity Campaign member,” she said.
“I also want to thank every organisation which has hosted fundraising events for us to be able to reach this amount. But this is much more than the number itself. This is about the lives in Cuba that have been saved and improved thanks to the supplies sent in every container.
“We are above all talking about the unwavering solidarity of the people of Britain with the people of Cuba. Thank you very much.”
Solidarity in the face of a genocidal policy
While £555,000 is an achievement to celebrate, the appeal is only necessary because of the devastating humanitarian consequences of the US genocidal policy against Cuba.
Washington’s decades-long blockade, reinforced by a seven month oil siege and hundreds of coersive measures and threats, is deliberately depriving the Cuban people of fuel, food, medicines and other essentials. Hospitals have been forced to cancel operations, cancer survival rates have fallen, and infant mortality has increase by 148 per cent since 2018.
In August, United Nations human rights experts condemned the latest US measures, warning that the international community must act urgently to prevent a “silent Gaza” from unfolding in Cuba. They said that measures knowingly depriving a population of the means to survive attack the most basic guarantees of the right to life and human dignity.
Humanitarian aid cannot compensate for the immense damage inflicted by this illegal and inhumane policy. The blockade must end.
Until it does, the Cuba Vive Appeal will continue standing with the Cuban people. More consignments of medical equipment, essential supplies and food aid are already being prepared – including two 40-foot containers sponsored by the National Education Union and Communist Party of Britain.
The appeal has reached £555,000, but the need is greater than ever.
Please continue donating, fundraising and spreading the word. Together, we can deliver practical solidarity and help save lives.
