Foreign Affairs intensifies its humanitarian response to the crisis in Palestine through the AECID

AECID staff during the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza on July 31

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation has significantly stepped up its humanitarian response in Palestine through the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) to alleviate the increased humanitarian needs following the deterioration of the situation since October 2023. So far this year, Spain has earmarked 20 million euros for Palestine to assist more than 3 million people in Gaza and the West Bank. But the total amount of aid sent to the area since the beginning amounts to 76.01 million euros.

"Spain is the country in the world that is doing the most for Palestine, because we cannot allow international humanitarian law to continue to be systematically violated, with forced displacements of the population and massive deaths in the hunger queues," said the Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares. Moreover, Spain is, in his words, "leading all international efforts, especially in Europe."

For years, Palestine has been a priority humanitarian context for AECID. If in 2024 the commitment to the territory was intensified, with a greater economic contribution, the activation of emergency agreements or the launching of humanitarian aid, AECID aims to assist 3 million people, out of the total of 3.3 million in need of assistance in 2025, both in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

The humanitarian situation in both is extremely precarious, aggravated by massive displacement, destruction of infrastructure or restrictions on access by the Israeli authorities, and the main areas of intervention envisaged include water, sanitation and hygiene, shelter, site management and health.

Situation in the first half of 2025

Since 7 October 2023, Spain has sent 76.01 million euros to Palestine, but so far in 2025 alone, AECID, through the Directorate of Humanitarian Action, has allocated 20 million euros to the area to alleviate the serious humanitarian crisis.

In particular, humanitarian contributions for Palestine totalling 15.5 million euros to UNRWA, OCHA and ICRC were approved by the Council of Ministers on 15 April. In addition, 1 million euros will be used to fund the West Bank Protection Consortium.

The AECID has also funded five Spanish NGDOs through an extraordinary procedure dedicated to Palestine amounting to 3 million euros, which is currently being resolved. In addition, five other emergency agreements have been activated with Spanish NGDOs (Caritas Española, OXFAM Intermón, Save the Children, Acción contra el Hambre and the Spanish Red Cross/MLRP), as well as the financing of direct aid operations (sending medicines and medical and shelter material).

Family-run shops, medical supplies and food

Due to the humanitarian blockade, humanitarian aid was sent to the Gaza Strip both in March and on 1 August.

The first, which took place in February, consisted of the shipment of 12 tonnes of medical supplies. A second shipment of 380 family tents (for approximately 2,000 people) was made in March in coordination with the European Civil Protection Mechanism. Finally, in August, 12 tonnes of food was sent in a third mission, in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence to feed up to 11,000 people in the Gaza Strip.

Growing support

After 7 October 2023, the Agency's forecast of 4 million euros for humanitarian action in the region in 2023 doubled after October to 10.63 million euros.

During 2024, AECID's commitment to the situation in Palestine continued to grow, channelling up to 22.9 million euros in humanitarian aid. Much of this aid was channelled through contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

However, AECID's contributions to the protection of survivors or those at risk of sex-based violence, the launch of humanitarian aid in March 2024 and the work carried out with Spanish NGDOs should also be highlighted: both the approval of three interventions in the field and the activation of three emergency agreements (Cáritas Españolas, OXFAM Intermón and Save the Children).

Non official translation