The Dutch government is setting aside another € 15.2 million for the food aid program on Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten. The residents of the three islands have had to deal with considerable challenges since the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent loss of tourism. The poverty issues have increased considerably on the islands.
State Secretary Raymond Knops: “The guiding principle of the government has always been that the Netherlands shall not leave the most vulnerable people in the cold. During my most recent working visit, I experienced how poignant the situation at some locations in our Kingdom are. It is of utmost importance that the food aid programme is also continued in the coming period.”
Since May 2020 the Dutch government has made financial resources available for food aid on Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten. At the moment a total of approximately 80,000 people receive assistance through food aid made possible by the Netherlands.
The Red Cross is coordinating the food aid programme. However, hard work is carried out on a transition to a more structural form of the programme, under the responsibility of the three countries. Through these resources the food aid is guaranteed up to the 1st of July, 2021.
