The Foreign Office's humanitarian action budget doubles in four years

On the occasion of World Humanitarian Day, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation highlights Spain's commitment to international humanitarian action, reflected in the nearly 115% increase in the humanitarian budget of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) since 2021, rising from €65.6 million to €140.2 million. This initiative responds to an increasingly demanding global reality: according to the United Nations, more than 239 million people worldwide are in need of humanitarian assistance.

"Against a backdrop of growing demand for assistance and a decline in international funding, Spain remains firmly committed to humanitarian aid and is strengthening its capacity to respond to the world's major humanitarian crises", said Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, who paid tribute to the professionalism and courage of all humanitarian staff. The Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) supported 131 humanitarian interventions in 2025 and has already backed 72 so far in 2026, including responses to the recent earthquakes in Venezuela and Colombia.

Spain's total humanitarian budget reached €225.6 million in 2025, 24% more than the previous year. Of that total, decentralized cooperation contributed €43.5 million, and AECID mobilised €140.2 million, of which €121.8 million was allocated to the Directorate of Humanitarian Action.

Stronger and better-coordinated humanitarian action

Over the last two years, Spain's humanitarian response has strengthened its response capabilities and tools. Among the key milestones is the approval of the new AECID Statute, which has strengthened the institution's structure by elevating the former Humanitarian Action Office to the status of a Directorate and reinforcing its technical and operational capabilities.

Furthermore, the agreement on humanitarian action between AECID and decentralised cooperation now includes 15 autonomous communities and the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces, fostering a more coordinated and coherent response from all the administrations involved in Spanish Cooperation.

In 2026, Spain also assumed the co-chairmanship of the Donors' Advisory Group of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), alongside the Spanish Red Cross, reinforcing its presence and influence in one of the main strategic forums for international humanitarian action.

Involvement in major humanitarian crises

In 2025, 77.7% of the funds managed by AECID's Humanitarian Action Directorate - totalling €94.6 million - was concentrated in seven priority contexts, including Palestine, Ukraine, Lebanon, the Sahel and Afghanistan.

The majority of this funding was channelled through the United Nations (54.9%), the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (18.9%), and other national and international humanitarian organisations (21.7%). Notable allocations included €21 million for the annual call for humanitarian actions by Spanish organisations and €3 million mobilised through an extraordinary call for proposals for Palestine.

Rapid response to emergencies

The AECID allocated €17.4 million to respond to humanitarian emergencies in 2025, channelling funds through the IFRC, emergency agreements with Spanish non-governmental organisations and direct response operations. A total of €2.74 million was allocated to extraordinary interventions and emergency shipments.

Among the most notable direct interventions were the 35-day deployment of the START field hospital to Jamaica - staffed by 156 volunteer professionals - following Hurricane Melissa in November 2025. Additionally, in 2026, the AquaSTART water purification module was deployed in response to flooding in Mozambique, and the START team was deployed as an EMT1 field hospital following earthquakes in Venezuela.

Education, food security and gender equality

Spanish humanitarian action maintains a firm commitment to priority areas essential for a comprehensive and sustainable response, including education in emergencies, food security and gender equality. For instance, in 2025 alone, AECID allocated nearly €30 million to food security programmes - primarily through the World Food Programme (WFP) - and continues to support the WFP humanitarian logistics hub in Las Palmas, a strategic centre for operations in West Africa and the Sahel.

Through these efforts, Spain reaffirms its commitment to humanitarian action based on the principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence, and to an increasingly effective, coordinated response tailored to the needs of populations affected by crises and conflicts around the world.

Non official translation