Humanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid comprises the set of interventions aimed at protecting lives, alleviating suffering and preserving the dignity of people affected by armed conflicts, forced displacement, natural disasters or protracted crises.
The Barcelona Provincial Council maintains a firm commitment to this task and has a long tradition of solidarity and cooperation with the aim of promoting fairer and more inclusive territories and communities. The institution was one of the first local authorities in the State to allocate 0.7% of its ordinary revenues to development cooperation, and 10% of this percentage to humanitarian aid, thus promoting decentralised cooperation as a public policy that contributes, from the specific perspective of the local level, to human development on an international scale, and in line with the new development cooperation law.
This year, the Provincial Council has allocated 1.250.000 € to support refugee and displaced populations in four particularly affected contexts: Lebanon, Syria, South Sudan and Palestine. This support reinforces essential services and emergency responses that protect communities in extreme vulnerability.
These actions are channelled through three specialised United Nations agencies with a direct presence on the ground and a recognised operational capacity: UNICEF, UNHCR and UNRWA.
The Provincial Council's humanitarian contribution is part of a comprehensive cooperation policy that combines an immediate response to emergencies with actions aimed at addressing the structural causes of inequality. This includes, among other things, strengthening the capacity of local governments and promoting Global Citizenship Education.
The Barcelona Provincial Council actions are carried out in accordance with Law 1/2023 on Sustainable Development Cooperation and Global Solidarity, which reinforces the role of public administrations in the humanitarian response.
Contributions from the Barcelona Provincial Council in 2025
- UNICEF (Lebanon - 250.000 €): the Provincial Council’s contribution has been used to provide essential hygiene and nutrition kits for families displaced by the escalation of violence.
- UNICEF (Syria - 250.000 €): the Provincial Council's contribution has supported accelerated learning programmes (Curriculum B) for children outside the formal education system, with the aim of facilitating their reintegration into school.
- UNHCR (250.000 €)): the Provincial Council's contribution has supported psychosocial assistance and post-traumatic stress case management programmes for women forcibly displaced by the conflict in Sudan.
- UNRWA (500.000 €): the Provincial Council's contribution has supported UNRWA's Health Programme, which covers the agency's five areas of operation (Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan). The programme covers maternal and child health, treatment of chronic diseases, mental health and specific protection for pregnant women, infants and vulnerable people.
