The Hague- Residents of Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten can continue to count on the support of the Dutch cabinet in the coming months.

A decision for continued support was taken Council of Ministers earlier this week, at the proposal of State Secretary Knops of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. Food aid is still badly needed on the three islands.

“In recent months I have visited the Red Cross in Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten. I have spoken with residents within our Kingdom who daily need the help of this organization to make ends meet. The cabinet has always indicated that it will not leave these most vulnerable people in the three countries to their own devices”, said Knops about the decision.

Gift
These three countries within our kingdom have been hard hit humanitarian and economic by the corona crisis. The countries are highly dependent on tourism, but this sector is still very hard because of the COVID-19 virus. This humanitarian aid is coordinated by the Red Cross. In the coming months, the countries will work towards a transition from the food aid program, whereby responsibility will shift from the Red Cross to the local government. This € 14.9 million will be provided as a gift.

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