The Diplomat
The Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and eleven Autonomous Communities have reached an agreement to allocate 2.1 million euros in 2022 to humanitarian crises in Afghanistan, Syria, the Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf and Ukraine.
The agreement between AECID and Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, La Rioja, Murcia, Valencia, the Canary Islands, Extremadura, the Balearic Islands, Madrid and Castilla y León was reached this past Monday in the framework of the 2018 agreement between the State and the autonomous entities for the coordination of public management in humanitarian action in Spain. Under this agreement, the Autonomous Communities decide each year to which humanitarian crises the funds are to be allocated. Each autonomous community contributes a minimum of 50,000 euros per year. For its part, the AECID will contribute 1.5 million euros in 2022, half a million more than last year. The Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) participates in this agreement as an observer.
According to the AECID, an amount of 400,000 euros will be used to provide a joint response to the appeal for aid launched by the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) in Ukraine as a result of the Russian invasion. This funding will help strengthen the IFRC’s support to national Red Cross societies in their work to assist the two million people who are currently vulnerable as a result of the conflict. The IFRC is the coordinating body for Red Cross national societies in both Ukraine and host countries.
In Afghanistan, the appeal of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will be cofinanced to promote the protection of people affected by violence and respect for their right of access to essential goods and services, support medical care, improve water and sanitation services, and help the Afghan Red Crescent Society strengthen its capacities. It also seeks to ensure that the treatment and living conditions of detainees meet internationally recognized standards, and to promote acceptance of and support for principled humanitarian action and respect for international humanitarian law.
In Syria, UNICEF’s work in the education sector in emergencies will be supported, focusing on the rehabilitation of basic education schools in the country. This will promote access to basic education, including gender-sensitive sanitation and hygiene units, recreational spaces and improved access for children with disabilities. Finally, in the Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf (Algeria), the joint support of AECID and the CAAC will enable the World Food Program (WFP) to cover the basic food and nutrition needs of more than 130,000 people through the distribution of basic food products.
