No electricity, no gas, no sleep: Cubans on edge amid endless outages PHOTO

Four months into a tightening US oil blockade, Cuba is enduring prolonged blackouts that have left households across Havana and the wider island without reliable electricity, water and basic services, according to residents and officials cited in reports.

The state electricity company has struggled to provide even a few hours of power per day, with fuel shortages and depleted reserves forcing rolling cuts and leaving petrol stations empty, while energy officials have warned that there is no meaningful buffer left, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

In Havana, residents describe days without light, rising temperatures, and worsening shortages of water, cooking gas and food, with some resorting to charcoal or wood for cooking and taking to the streets in noisy cacerolazo protests after nightfall.

The crisis has unfolded amid heightened tensions between Havana and Washington, with new sanctions targeting senior Cuban officials and state-linked institutions, while US military assets and intelligence activity in the region have added to fears of escalation.

Analysts say the country’s tourism and private micro-enterprise sectors are being hit as international operators scale back and shipping companies suspend orders, deepening concerns over food supply and economic stability on the island.

With temperatures climbing and power cuts expected to continue, the World Meteorological Organisation has warned of a potentially extreme summer, intensifying pressure on an already exhausted population.

One doctor interviewed in Vedado said the prolonged outages had left hospitals and homes struggling to function, with water pumps failing and insects spreading in the heat, while residents attempted to maintain routines amid near constant darkness.

Observers note that the combination of energy shortages, inflation and external sanctions has created one of the most severe crises on the island in recent years, with limited prospects for immediate relief as diplomatic channels remain stalled and economic pressure continues to mount across key sectors of the economy.

Residents say daily life has become a struggle for basic survival, with sleep disrupted and uncertainty over when electricity will return, as communities adapt to repeated blackouts and rising hardship across urban neighbourhoods.