Cuba's deepening energy crisis has left millions of people without reliable access to running water, as electricity shortages disable pumping stations and fuel shortages cripple the country's ageing water distribution network. Power cuts no longer just leave homes dark; they leave taps dry, forcing residents in Havana and beyond to spend hours each day fetching, hauling and rationing water, often at night when electricity briefly returns.

The crisis worsened this year after the suspension of oil exports from Venezuela, Cuba's main fuel supplier, following the capture of President Nicolás Maduro by US forces, compounding shortages already caused by the US embargo. Cuba's National Institute of Hydraulic Resources says nearly 3 million people are struggling to access water, with the water system running on just 37% of the fuel it needs and up to 70% of Havana's water lost to leaks before reaching homes. Wealthier residents pay for private water trucks, while others queue for deliveries, carry jerrycans themselves or pay informal carriers, organising their entire daily routines around the sporadic hours when power and water are available.