As Trump ramps up pressure by cutting off fuel to the island, Havana’s refuse is rarely collected, forcing residents to burn it in the streets despite the pollutionAs thick smoke spread through the narrow streets of Havana, seeping into homes, schools and shops, Carlos Blanco, a chef, opened his bedroom window to see what was going on. “I saw a mist. But it wasn’t mist – it was smoke,” he says, describing the toxic smog emanating from a smouldering mountain of rubbish.As the US oil blockade on C
Carlos Blanco’s story really hits home—imagine waking up to toxic smoke from burning trash because the US won’t let fuel in for garbage trucks.
It’s heartbreaking that people in Havana have to burn their own waste in the streets, knowing the health risks from the fumes and the rats that come with it.
Trump’s oil blockade is clearly making life unbearable for ordinary Cubans; it’s not just politics, it’s an epidemic of flies and foul odours as the article says.
The social determinants of health explain far more variation than healthcare access alone. (7876ac)
Why is the US blocking fuel when it’s clearly causing a public health crisis? The smell and smoke must be unbearable for families living near those rubbish piles.
This is exactly what happens when you cut off a country’s essential supplies—rubbish piles up, rats thrive, and people get sick from inhaling toxic smoke.
The ageing population is going to put unprecedented pressure on healthcare systems. (978fce)