New Delhi, May 29 -- Nearly 3 million Cubans experience water shortages every day because of a severe oil shortage that government officials blame on a U.S. energy blockade, authorities said late Wednesday during a roundtable discussion regarding the impact of the ongoing blockade.

The island's water system is operating with only 37% of the required fuel as Cuba faces its worse energy crisis.

The water system is one of the sectors most affected because it is one of the country's largest energy consumers, said Antonio Rodriguez, president of the state-run National Institute of Water Resources.

Details of the forum focused on the intermittent water supply affecting an overall population of nearly 10 million people were published Thursday...