A Pair of Cuba-Destined Humanitarian Ships Declared Lost after Setting Sail from the Coast of Mexico.

A comprehensive rescue and recovery mission is currently in progress in the Caribbean waters for a pair of unlocated sailboats loaded with humanitarian supplies en route from Mexico to the island of Cuba.

Maritime Rescue Missions Deployed

Authorities in Mexico has sent navy personnel and search planes to find the missing boats, which were had on board no fewer than nine total personnel, per a navy statement.

The vessels had been expected to arrive in Cuba's capital on the early part of the week, but there has been a complete lack of contact from them and no confirmation of their docking, the statement clarified.

The Situation of Relief to Cuba

The island nation has leaned on humanitarian shipments from Mexico over the last several weeks, as the nation struggles through widespread national electricity failures.

"The crews and captains are experienced sailors, and each boat are fitted with appropriate safety equipment and emergency beacons," a representative associated with the mission commented.

The nine individuals on board are citizens of France, Poland, the United States, and Cuba. Mexican authorities said it has established contact with maritime rescue coordination centres from the involved countries along with their consular staff.

"The group is co-operating fully with the relevant authorities and are still optimistic in the capability of the sailors to reach Havana safely," the official further stated.

Recent Humanitarian Shipment

Earlier in the week, the Cuban authorities publicly celebrated and officially received a different ship that had delivered 14 tons of relief supplies to the country.

That ship, nicknamed "a new Granma" in reference to the yacht in which Castro came back to Cuba to start the armed struggle in the 1950s, brought solar equipment, drugs, infant formula, bikes and foodstuffs.

Wider International Backdrop

Volunteers and NGOs have been at the forefront of attempts to bring humanitarian aid to Cuba since January, when a energy blockade on the Communist-run nation came into effect.

The United Nations have since warned of ""critical" shortages of supplies, with in excess of 50k surgeries cancelled in Cuba because of electricity supply constraints.

Foreign policy tensions have increased lately, with remarks from several officials underscoring the complicated nature of bilateral relations.

Reacting to previous proposals, a senior government figure stated firmly that "the political system of Cuba is not subject to discussion."

Indications suggest that early stages of discussions had begun, although their current progress remains unclear.

The naval forces stated it was committed to using all of the resources at its command to locate the vessels and guarantee the safety of the crews.

As of now, there has been no official comment on the disappeared vessels by the Cuban government.