NEWS · B2 Level - Part 1

Cuba Water Crisis

Up next, we're getting an update on Cuba. Cuba's infrastructure crisis has deepened, as water shortages now affect over 1 million residents across the island,

Level: B2 · 27 sentences

Transcript

  1. Up next, we're getting an update on Cuba.
  2. Cuba's infrastructure crisis has deepened, as water shortages now affect over 1 million residents across the island,
  3. following the devastating 3 day power grid failure we reported on earlier this month.
  4. Some neighborhoods have gone more than two weeks without running water.
  5. While Cuban officials blame U.S. economic sanctions,
  6. they acknowledge the crisis stems from aging infrastructure,
  7. with the power outages creating a vicious cycle that further disrupts water access.
  8. The situation has exposed issues with Cuba's basic utilities.
  9. Here's our Patrick Oppmann with some more details on this story.
  10. Some days, in many parts of Cuba, it seems there's water everywhere,
  11. but actually inside people's houses,
  12. like the power grid that crashed across the island for more than 3 days earlier this month,
  13. the island's aging, poorly maintained water system is also barely functioning.
  14. Enough water spills in the street in some places to even wash a car.
  15. The day we first visit this hardscrabble neighborhood on the outskirts of Havana,
  16. residents tell us they've not had running water in over 2 weeks.
  17. Cuban officials blame U.S. sanctions in part for the failing water system,
  18. but acknowledge the crisis has grown to impact nearly 10% of the population.
  19. The water shortages have led some Cubans to take to the streets and protest,
  20. something the government usually does not tolerate.
  21. The worsening power situation has a direct impact on the water supply.
  22. Many people, if not most people in Cuba, don't get water every day.
  23. You might get water for a few hours every other day, every third day.
  24. It's what's known as El Día del Agua - water day.
  25. When there's a power cut, you don't get any water that day either.
  26. The government says it sends water trucks to help with the problem,
  27. but there are not enough to go around.