HAVANA, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The Cuban government on Tuesday received a donation of 19 tons of powder milk from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

       The consignment will benefit some 6,000 pediatric patients in health facilities in the provinces of Havana, Mayabeque, Artemisa, Matanzas and Pinar del Rio.

       "We reiterate our commitment to continue supporting Cuba's efforts in the fight against several challenges posed by the (COVID-19) pandemic," Alejandra Trossero, UNICEF's top representative in Cuba, said during the donation ceremony at the Juan Manuel Marquez Pediatric Hospital in Havana.

       Cuba's Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment Deborah Rivas thanked UNICEF for the donation, noting that the current U.S. administration has intensified the U.S. blockade against the island amid the health emergency.

       "Despite the difficult circumstances the Cuban economy is experiencing, we continue to maintain health indicators similar to those of developed nations," she said.