Letter to parliament about termination of subsidy food aid program Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten
State Secretary Knops (BZK) informs the House of Representatives about the termination as of 1 October 2021 of the funding for the food aid program in Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten. The Netherlands has provided financial resources for food aid since May 2020.

Return address PO Box 20011 2500 EA The Hague

To the President of the House of Representatives of the States General PO Box 20018

Date September 24, 2021
Concerns Termination of subsidy food aid program Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten
Ministry of
Home Affairs and
Kingdom Relations

The residents of Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten have been facing major challenges since COVID-19 and the resulting loss of tourism. As a result of the pandemic, many people ended up in poverty. For this reason, the Netherlands has provided financial resources for food aid since May 2020. Those hardest hit by the crisis could be helped with their greatest needs.

Since the start of the program in May 2020, the Dutch cabinet has made €85.4 million available for food aid. This has helped many thousands of people. Now that tourism is picking up again, the acute emergency is over and the countries have taken over care for the most vulnerable in society again, the subsidy of the program from the Netherlands will be terminated as of 1 October 2021. The phasing out of financial support was discussed with the countries at an early stage.

At the request of the Netherlands, the Red Cross started the food aid program in the countries in May 2020. The implementation of the program by the Red Cross and its local partners was focused on emergency aid and could not continue in the same way in the long term. For this reason, agreements were made with the countries at the beginning of this year about the transition of the program to the local authorities and the phasing out of financial support. Local authorities constructively adopted the program at the end of the second quarter of this year. Care for the most vulnerable was continued, with the countries themselves becoming responsible for implementation and the Netherlands providing financial resources for the third quarter of 2021.

As of October 1, 2021, the countries will again be fully responsible for caring for the most vulnerable in society, in line with the autonomous status of the countries within the Kingdom. Any necessary follow-up financing can be included in a request for liquidity support, after inclusion in their budget, so that the most vulnerable can continue to be helped.

Ministry of
Home Affairs and
Kingdom Relations
DG Kingdom Relations
In times of crisis, we assist each other within the Kingdom, especially in the humanitarian field. Even if it turns out to be necessary in the future. The 2021-0000488471 food aid program met an immediate need that local governments were unable to meet in the short term. Now that the acute need has been alleviated and the care has been taken over by the local authorities, I am confident that the governments of Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten will continue to carry out this task in a way that fits within their policy.

With the recovery of tourism, the economy is also picking up again, so I expect the number of people relying on food aid to decrease. This decrease is already visible. At the same time, we are working with the countries to sustainably strengthen the economy, with a focus on social security and a social safety net.

I will continue to monitor the development of the needs of the most vulnerable in the countries and hope for a speedy recovery of the economies of Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten.

The State Secretary for the Interior and Kingdom Relations,

drs. R.W. Buttons
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