Every August 19^th the world celebrates the World Humanitarian Day, a day that this year, according to the United Nations General Assembly, is dedicated to paying tribute to humanitarian workers who have been killed or injured in the performance of their duties, work, and to honor all humanitarian workers and health professionals who continue, despite hardships, to provide assistance and protection to millions of people.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted rich and poor nations. And the latter face the greatest challenges. For this reason, humanitarian assistance must be directed above all to the most affected regions, to countries suffering from serious crises, exacerbated to a large extent by conflicts or natural disasters.

Politicizing humanitarian assistance, conditioning it, goes against the precepts of the United Nations. Using supposed assistance with the manifest interest in changing social systems, or as a measure of external pressure, betrays the essence of a day conceived from solidarity.

Cuba has offered humanitarian assistance to dozens of countries around the world for decades. It offers it right now, at particularly difficult times for the nation. There was no need, for example, to send health personnel to Haiti, after the devastation of the earthquake, because there were already Cuban doctors in that country. And they were among the first to offer their services to those affected by the disaster.

And that help has been received by many countries in the world, without any political limitations. Cuba has not offered what it has to spare. It has shared what it has.

Now, faced with the complex health situation facing the country - and without the restrictive measures of the U.S. blockade being relaxed - several nations of the world have sent humanitarian aid, which has been received with responsibility and gratitude. A country that has given so much has not rejected disinterested and supportive help.

It does reject, the hypocritical "assistance" of those who use the supposed aid as a bargaining chip. Or the so-called "interventions" that under a "humanitarian" cover actually have political purposes.

Cuba will continue to offer humanitarian aid and will receive it, in accordance with international standards and the most elementary ethics.

Translated by Amilkal Labañino / CubaSí Translation Staff