Global Exchange is launching a Bay Area Humanitarian Aid Hub for Cuba in San Francisco’s Mission District to mobilize community solidarity and deliver urgently needed supplies to the island. Working directly with Cuban communities, we will collect and ship essential humanitarian goods, including medical supplies, basic medicines, hygiene products, and other critical materials to communities facing acute shortages.

Cuba is only 90 miles from U.S. shores, yet decades of U.S. policy have severely restricted the flow of essential goods. Today, Cuba is facing one of the most severe shortages of fuel, food, and medicine in decades, the result of more than 60 years of U.S. economic warfare that has imposed collective punishment on the Cuban people.

As the Trump administration ramps up its campaign to isolate the island, shortages are deepening and the human consequences are becoming more severe. The effects of this economic siege are felt most sharply by the most vulnerable—newborns and parents, the elderly, and those living with serious illnesses who struggle to access basic medicines and care.

For nearly 40 years, Global Exchange has worked in solidarity with the Cuban people, organizing educational delegations, people-to-people exchanges, and humanitarian efforts, while calling for an end to the inhumane U.S. blockade and for Cuba to be removed from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list.

How to Support the Humanitarian Aid Hub:

• Donate supplies at our Mission District collection hub. View the donation list below.
• Donate online to support humanitarian aid shipments. Donate here.

Thanks to community solidarity, we have already delivered more than $23,000 worth of specialized cancer medicines to hospitals in Cuba and transported over 2,000 pounds of humanitarian aid collected through local donations. We will continue sending urgently needed medicines and supplies with the support of online donations.

Every shipment we send is both an act of solidarity and a statement: we refuse to accept policies that inflict suffering on innocent communities. Humanitarian aid alone cannot end the blockade. But it can save lives, meet urgent needs, and sustain communities while we continue the fight to end these cruel and unjust policies.

📦 Donation Drop-Off Dates & Times

Fridays 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

  • April 17
  • April 24
  • May 20
  • May 22
  • May 27

We are happy to coordinate alternative drop-off times if needed.

Location
2973 16th St., Suite 300
San Francisco, CA 94103


Questions or Need a Different Drop-Off Time? Email us at: cuba@globalexchange.org

Priority Donation Items for Cuba

The following medicines and supplies are in high demand due to ongoing shortages of fuel, electricity, and medical resources. All items must be new, unopened, and within expiration dates. We are only accepting items from this list.

Medicine and Medical Supplies

  • Pain relievers — ibuprofen, acetaminophen (paracetamol), aspirin
  • Antifungal creams — clotrimazole, hydrocortisone
  • Antihistamines and anti-allergy medication
  • Antidiarrheal medicine —loperamide
  • Antacids and stomach relief medication
  • Lice and scabies treatments — shampoos, creams, sprays
  • Oral rehydration salts
    ORS packets
  • Cold and flu medication

Women’s & Baby Care

  • Feminine hygiene pads and tampons — all sizes
  • Menstrual cups — reusable, extremely high impact
  • Baby diapers — newborn through size 5
  • Adult diapers — for elderly and ill patients
  • Wet wipes and baby wipes
  • Diaper rash cream
  • Baby shampoo and body wash

Food

  • Powdered milk
  • Canned fish – tuna, sardines, salmon, mackerel
  • Canned meat – chicken
  • Dried beans
  • Pasta and noodles
  • Peanut butter and other nut butters -powdered if possible, no glass
  • Bouillon cubes and soup packets
  • Baby food pouches
  • Fortified cereals

Vitamins & Supplements

  • Multivitamins — adults and children separately
  • Vitamins A, B complex, C, D, and E
  • Iron supplements — especially for women and children
  • Calcium supplements — especially for the elderly
  • Prenatal vitamins

Medical Supplies & Equipment

  • Medical gloves — nitrile, all sizes
  • Surgical face masks and N95 respirators
  • Digital medical thermometers
  • Bandages, gauze pads, and rolls
  • Medical tape and adhesive bandages
    Band-Aids, all sizes
  • Alcohol wipes and swabs
  • Hydrogen peroxide and iodine solution
  • Syringes — unused and sealed only
  • Wound closure strips — steri-strips
  • Blood pressure monitors — battery-operated
  • Blood glucose test strips
  • Reading glasses for the elderly — various strengths

Mosquito & Vector Control

  • Mosquito repellent —spray or lotion
    DEET-based
  • Mosquito nets — for sleeping
  • Permethrin spray — for treating clothing and mosquito nets

Global Exchange arrives in Havana today as movements from across the hemisphere come together by air, land, and sea with the Nuestra América Convoy, delivering humanitarian aid while challenging the U.S. blockade of Cuba.

On March 21, international delegations and solidarity movements from across the Americas and around the world will converge in Cuba as part of the convoy, bringing more than 20 tons of humanitarian aid and standing together against the policies that are deepening this humanitarian crisis.

The ongoing blockade has plunged the island nation into a severe energy crisis, with many parts of Cuba experiencing up to 16 hours without power each day. United States President Donald Trump has also suggested the possibility of military action and regime change, and has publicly expressed a desire for the United States to “own” Cuba.

Yesterday, Global Exchange co-director Corina Nolet and Board Chair Walter Turner spoke with Hard Knock Radio on KPFA about the current crisis in Cuba, the tightening U.S. blockade, and why this humanitarian convoy is so urgent. Read / listen here.

“We stand in solidarity with the people of Cuba. People around the world are coming together to make clear that Cuba is not alone, and that the inhumane blockade will not stop us from carrying out this vital people-to-people mission,” said Corina Nolet, co-director of Global Exchange

For nearly four decades, Global Exchange has organized people-to-people delegations to Cuba and led grassroots advocacy efforts to end the blockade and normalize relations between Cuba and the United States. Thanks to supporters like you, Global Exchange and our international partners have already secured nearly $23,000 worth of urgently needed cancer medicines. These treatments are critically needed as shortages of basic medicines continue to affect patients across the island.

This effort brings together participants from more than a dozen countries. At a time when the Trump administration is escalating the economic war against Cuba, tightening sanctions, and deepening shortages across the island, people across the Americas are stepping forward in solidarity. Together, we refuse to stand by while an entire nation is punished.

Members of our delegation are also carrying 34 large suitcases filled with humanitarian supplies — more than 1,700 pounds of aid. These bags are packed with over-the-counter medicines, medical supplies, and essential items that Cuban families are increasingly unable to obtain because of the tightening economic blockade.

And this is just the beginning.

In April, Global Exchange will launch a Bay Area Humanitarian Aid Hub in San Francisco to continue this work, organizing regular shipments of medical supplies, food, and essential goods to the people of Cuba.

Humanitarian aid alone cannot end the blockade. But it can save lives. Donate to support our effort.

We will share updates, photos, and stories from Cuba as the convoy arrives and the aid begins reaching communities. For up-to-the-moment updates, follow us on social media.

Thank you for making this work possible.