Sufferers of “Havana Syndrome” receive compensation

 

TT 

Published 18:21

  

The US embassy in Havana where it was first reported that a mysterious sound and symptoms made staff sick. Archive Photo: Desmond Boylan/AP/TT

The US government has paid out three million dollars, equivalent to around 29 million kronor, in compensation to US personnel who suffered from the mysterious “Havana Syndrome”.

The phenomenon was first reported in the Cuban capital Havana in 2016. Diplomats, intelligence personnel and their families described symptoms such as headaches, nausea, dizziness and painful noises in the ears, reports the BBC.

Since then, US personnel stationed in China, Australia, Russia, Germany and Austria, among others, have testified to similar symptoms.

There has been wild speculation over the years about what – or who – caused the syndrome. A panel of technical and medical experts has claimed that it involves pulsating electromagnetic energy and ultrasound.

The Russian military intelligence agency GRU has been blamed, but Russia has repeatedly denied involvement.

Several US intelligence agencies concluded in 2023 that it was “unlikely” that a foreign power was behind the mysterious syndrome. But no other explanation was presented.

In March 2024, two US studies by the NIH research institute concluded that Havana Syndrome does not cause brain damage. This after examining more than 80 people with MRIs, blood tests, and hearing and vision tests.

The compensation of three million dollars to the victims is the first to be made. But the Department of Defense states that it will continue to prioritize “the care of affected personnel” based on the law passed in 2021.

Havana Syndrome

Havana Syndrome was first brought to attention in 2016 when US diplomats in Cuba reported hearing piercing sounds at night and feeling sick.

The US withdrew more than half of its staff from the embassy in Havana in 2017 after employees and their families reported symptoms such as dizziness, nausea and difficulty concentrating.

Similar experiences have been reported from US personnel in China, Australia, Colombia, Russia, Germany and Austria, among others.

This has sparked speculation that a foreign power is behind the phenomenon. Russia has been singled out as responsible, but has repeatedly denied involvement.

Several US intelligence agencies concluded in 2023 that it was “unlikely” that a foreign power was behind the mysterious syndrome.

A panel of technical and medical experts has claimed that it involves pulsating electromagnetic energy and ultrasound.

In March 2024, two US studies concluded that Havana syndrome does not cause brain damage.

Source: BBC