WCC news: Ecumenical delegation to visit Cuba as humanitarian crisis deepens

A high-level international ecumenical delegation initiated by the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) will be in Havana, Cuba, from 28 to 31 March, on a solidarity visit aimed at responding to the island’s deepening humanitarian crisis and growing global concern over the impact of economic sanctions on its people. Hitchhikers along a highway outside Santiago de Cuba, near the eastern tip of the Caribbean island nation of Cuba. Photo: Paul Jeffrey/Life on Earth 27 March 2026 The visit comes as ecumenical organizations increasingly warn of the humanitarian consequences of long-standing sanctions and newly intensified restrictions affecting fuel supplies to Cuba. The United Nations recently announced the need for a revised plan of action on March 24, 2026, that addresses the “cascading effect on essential services such as health care, education, sanitation and the availability of food and water” and the “constraints on humanitarian operations.”  The United Nations heard from its representative in Havana on March 26 that dwindling energy reserves were creating “acute humanitarian risks,” as 90% of essential services in the nation rely on oil. This includes 5 million people living with chronic illnesses whose treatments are at risk of disruption and 1 million people who rely on tanker trucks for drinking water. The delegation consists of the WCRC general secretary, Rev. Philip Vinod Peacock; Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay, general secretary of the World Council of Churches; Jihyun Oh, stated clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and executive director of Presbyterian Life & Witness; Rev. Jimmie R. Hawkins, director of advocacy in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.); Rt. Rev. Anthony Poggo, secretary-general of the Anglican Communion; Rev. Michael Blair, general secretary of the United Church of Canada; and Rev. Dr. Reynaldo Ferreira Leao Neto, general secretary of the World Methodist Council. During the visit, the delegation will meet with Cuban churches and ecumenical leaders, government officials and local communities, focusing on the humanitarian situation, the role of churches in accompanying vulnerable communities, and the need for policies that prioritize human dignity. The program also includes a visit to the National Institute of Oncology in Havana and participation in ecumenical gatherings and Palm Sunday worship services across the city. WCC, ACT Alliance express grave concern over fuel blockade imposed on Cuba (WCC news release, 19 February 2026) WCC central committee recognizes “migration emergency that particularly affects several Central American countries” (WCC news release, 24 June 2025) See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland