A shocking video shared on Instagram this past Tuesday reveals a heart-breaking scene in Havana: elderly individuals, children, and adults in a state of extreme thinness searching through trash for onions, a moment described by the footage's author as "very sad and intense."
The footage appears to have been captured in the Centro Habana area, near Zanja station, and was uploaded by the Instagram account calificando_criticando. The video shows several desperate people—including visibly emaciated children and elderly—sifting through waste to find the most intact onions.
The videographer, audibly upset, questions, "Here we see a group of gentlemen, children, and elders picking up the onions. Who could have been the unjust, selfish person to do this, to throw the onions in the trash? This is outrageous."
The most striking aspect of the footage is the physical condition of those involved: older men and women, along with children, all competing for the least damaged onions amidst their skeletal appearances.
The individual behind the camera angrily pondered why the onions were discarded instead of being sold at a reduced price or given away: "Why didn't they sell them cheaper or do something else? Why let the onions reach this point?"
In a public plea, the video’s creator urged, "Don't let things rot or go to waste. Please don't let things deteriorate."
Despite acknowledging the humiliation of the scene, the author expressed a sense of relief: "In the end, I'm happy because, albeit humiliatingly, many people managed to solve their problem today and got their onions for free."
According to the description, people were shouting "Onion!" and spreading the word that someone had discarded the produce, prompting a scramble to retrieve it.
This is not an isolated incident. Just five days prior, on April 9, a man was filmed eating directly from the garbage on the streets of Santiago de Cuba.
In December 2024, individuals picked up spilled beans from the streets in the same city, including primary students in school uniforms. By October 2025, children were rummaging through garbage in Pinar del Río searching for food.
These scenes are symptomatic of a food crisis that 80% of Cubans believe is worse than the Special Period of the 1990s, according to a March 2026 survey.
The Cuban Human Rights Observatory reports that 89% of the population is living in extreme poverty, with a monthly cost of living at 40,000 pesos against an average salary of only 6,000 pesos. Seven out of ten Cubans skip at least one meal a day; among those over 61, the number rises to eight out of ten.
Retirees’ pensions do not exceed 10 dollars a month, making basic goods inaccessible. Despite an official price cap set by Resolution 148/2025 at 200-250 pesos per kilogram, onions were being sold at a practical price of 400 pesos per pound, nearly 20% of a retiree's monthly income.
Deaths from malnutrition surged by 74% between 2022 and 2023, and UNICEF reports that a tenth of Cuban children suffer from severe food poverty, consuming only two of the eight essential food groups.
Meanwhile, Havana's garbage crisis—exacerbated by a fuel shortage for collection trucks since late 2025—has created a brutal paradox: food spoiling due to power outages and lack of refrigeration ends up in landfill sites, while the starving populace salvages it for survival.
Understanding the Food Crisis in Cuba
Why are people in Havana foraging for food in the trash?
Due to severe economic hardship and a food crisis, many Cubans find themselves scavenging for food, including discarded onions, as basic necessities become increasingly unaffordable.
What is causing the food crisis in Cuba?
The ongoing food crisis is attributed to economic mismanagement by the Cuban government, widespread poverty, and logistical challenges exacerbated by fuel shortages and power outages.
How does the trash crisis exacerbate the food situation in Cuba?
The trash crisis, intensified by a lack of fuel for collection trucks, leads to food spoilage due to inadequate refrigeration and power outages, forcing people to salvage edible items from landfills.
What measures are being taken to address Cuba's economic and food crises?
There are ongoing calls for policy reform and international assistance to tackle Cuba's economic and food shortages, though substantial change remains limited under the current government structure.