Mountains of garbage have begun piling up in the Cuban capital, Havana: in some areas of the city, waste has not been collected for over ten days, Reuters reports.

The crisis was caused by a fuel shortage caused by disruptions in oil supplies from Venezuela and Mexico. Currently, only 44 of Havana's 106 garbage trucks are operational. Local residents are posting photos of the debris piled up on social media and expressing concern about the public health threat.

The situation escalated after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in late January authorizing tariffs on goods from countries supplying oil to Cuba. The American leader, however, allowed for the possibility of revising the order if Cuba or the supplying countries align their actions with US national security and foreign policy objectives.

Amid the energy crisis, several countries have announced their readiness to provide assistance to Cuba.