Lifesaving supplies stuck in Halifax amid Cuba travel advisory

Maritimers with connections to Cuba are worried about the country’s shortages.

The impact of Cuba’s travel advisory is being felt in Nova Scotia, as local non-profits have been forced to stall services to the country.

Simone Feller is the chapter head of “Not Just Tourists,” an organization that collects suitcases filled with essential supplies.

She arranges for people to take a suitcase with them on their vacation to countries in need.

But the ongoing travel disruptions have left loads of lifesaving supplies stuck in a Halifax storage unit, putting a stop to the organization’s efforts.

“Its very troubling. Our organization, it’s a very low cost, high impact way of delivering essential medical supplies directly to the place they’re needed,” says Feller.

“I probably send 50 to 70 suitcases per year, about 50 pounds each. And that affects a lot of lives. So, to have that pipeline cut off, I think it has a real impact on the ground in Cuba.”

The latest warning came from Global Affairs Canada, urging travellers to postpone non-essential trips to Cuba.

“The U.S. has not been listening to the Cubans and has not been prepared to negotiate. Cuba is prepared to negotiate…It’s up to the Americans to see if they want to come to the table,” says John Kirk, a professor at Dalhousie University department of Spanish and Latin American studies.

Kirk adds things could only heighten, especially if lifesaving aid is unable to enter the country.

“We are going to see a major humanitarian crisis in Cuba. Tourism is one of the main sources of the economy. And we represent the single largest contingent, 40 per cent of tourism. To take that away, out of the equation, means that there are major problems.”

Feller says she will continue to collect essential items in hopes it will make it out of the storage unit and on a plane to those in need.

“All of us organizations are going to have to try and pivot, to sending supplies in a different way,” she says. “I accept supplies all year long, and those supplies will just build up until we can send them over again.”

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