Barcelona allocates €640,000 to international humanitarian aid projects

Barcelona City Council will allocate €640,000 to eight international humanitarian aid projects to combat the effects the global health crisis caused by Covid-19 is causing around the world. 

The funds will go to Medellin (Colombia), the Gaza Strip, Saida (Lebanon), Maputo (Mozambique), and Senegal. 

As reported by the council on Monday, the subsidized projects will be executed between this year and mid-2021 and will benefit more than 160,000 people. 

For the city council, the situation in these territories is "overwhelming the health system" and they view it as "fundamental" to work "side by side" with other councils and NGOs to reduce the impact of the pandemic around the world.

A call for aid was open to all entities and NGOs accredited as experts in humanitarian action and emergencies. The maximum amount to be applied for was €80,000. 

"These are rapid emergency interventions for virus containment," said David Llistar, director of Global Justice and International Cooperation at Barcelona City Council. 

Grants will go to sectors directly affected by the Covid-19 crisis, prioritizing areas such as health, water, sanitation, and hygiene.

The funds totaling €640,000 is part of the more than €10.2 million that Barcelona City Council has already reserved for international cooperation and education actions. 

The council also reminded that in 2019, around €1.6 million was already allocated to 16 development projects related to fields such as health and medical care.