In Cuba, 11,000 children are waiting for surgery in hospitals without electricity for 20 hours a day.

Omissions

• The UN source attributes the surgical backlog to both power outages AND supply shortages, not solely to electricity blackouts — the MEP omitted the supply-shortage factor.
• The UN states blackouts last 'up to 20 hours' and only 'in some areas,' whereas the MEP framed it as a blanket condition affecting all hospitals uniformly for 20 hours a day.
• The UN News article was published in May 2026, very close to the session date (19 May 2026); it is unclear whether the MEP had access to this specific article or was citing a prior UN report.

Sources

• PrimaryUN NewsMore than 100,000 patients, including 11,000 children, are waiting for surgeries delayed by power outages and supply shortages. [...] In some areas, blackouts lasting up to 20 hours have forced hospitals to suspend non-emergency operations, while fuel shortages continue to disrupt transport and logistics.
• SecondaryReutersIn a country of 10 million people, 96,000 Cubans are on the waiting list for surgery, 11,000 of them children, Cuba's Public Health Ministry said.
• SecondaryFrance 24According to the health ministry, more than 96,000 Cubans, including 11,000 children, are waiting for surgeries due to the energy crisis.