The first flight carrying humanitarian aid for Cuba departed from Miami on July 21 as part of a partnership between the United States government and Catholic Relief Services (CRS).

The flight carried “pre-packaged food and hygiene kits” for up to 700 Cuban families, according to a US Department of State press release. The supplies will be distributed by CRS in partnership with Caritas Cuba and parish representatives from local churches. Caritas is the Catholic Church's international humanitarian aid network.

The Department of State said using local Church representatives to distribute the aid would help ensure it reached those in need “without any opportunity for regime diversion or theft”.

The State Department also announced that CRS had been awarded US$60 million to support humanitarian assistance in Cuba.

Working with Caritas Cuba, CRS plans to provide food and hygiene supplies to more than 500,000 people across the country, as well as household items, including mattresses, to a further 7,000 people.

“Families in Cuba are facing growing hardship as they struggle to put food on the table, access clean water and meet other basic needs,” Sean Callahan, president and chief executive of Catholic Relief Services, said.

“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 expects to increase aid deliveries to Cuba later this year.

The United States imposed a fuel blockade on Cuba in February in an effort to increase pressure on the country's government. In May, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a commitment of US$100 million in humanitarian aid for Cuba, stating that the Cuban government had previously declined the offer.

“The decision rests with the Cuban regime to accept our offer of assistance or deny critical life-saving aid and ultimately be accountable to the Cuban people for standing in the way of critical assistance,” the Department of State said.

The department added that Cubans “are suffering from the consequences of the Communist regime's kleptocracy, brutality, and economic incompetence”.

The Department of State previously worked with CRS and Caritas Cuba following Hurricane Melissa in October 2025.