More than 70,000 Cubans receive support through the Family Assistance System (SAF), a government program that provides meals to the elderly, people with disabilities and others in vulnerable situations. In Havana’s Rampa neighborhood, home to one of Cuba’s oldest populations, the El Rampeño SAF center provides daily meals and support to vulnerable residents thanks to support from local private businesses. “A place like this is a blessing,” says Lilian, a retired telephone operator. But as U.S. sanctions and an oil blockade disrupt food deliveries, keeping its kitchen running has become increasingly difficult. “The U.S. government is making life impossible for us,” says Pedro Garcés, president of the Rampa People’s Council. “It’s suffocating us.”
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