HAVANA, Cuba (AFP) — The top United Nations official in Cuba has warned vital humanitarian aid is not reaching the island because shipping and financial firms fear United States (US) reprisals, stranding deliveries of cancer drugs and water-treatment equipment.

Francisco Pichon, the UN resident coordinator in Cuba, told AFP on Thursday that a climate of fear over US sanctions among shippers, insurers, and banks had led to “over compliance” that was forcing aid agencies to re-route cargo and delay deliveries intended for hospitals and schools.

“They respond to the risk of sanctions by simply withdrawing from providing those services,” he said.