THE HAGUE - At the suggestion of Undersecretary Raymond Knops of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, the Dutch cabinet is allocating an additional 15.2 million euros for the food aid program in Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten. The residents of the three islands have faced major challenges since the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent loss of tourism. The poverty problem has increased sharply on the islands.
Undersecretary Knops: “The cabinet has always been based on the principle that the Netherlands should not leave the most vulnerable people out in the cold. During my last working visit I experienced how dire the situation is in some places within our Kingdom. It is important that the food aid program is continued in the coming period.”
Since May 2020, the Dutch cabinet has made funds available for food aid in Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten. Currently, a total of about 80,000 people are helped with food aid made possible by the Netherlands.
The Red Cross coordinates the food aid program. But a transition to a more structural form of the program is underway, under the responsibility of the three countries. With these resources, food aid is guaranteed until July 1, 2021.