Albares meets with non-governmental development organisations in Palestine to support their work

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Álbares, during the meeting with the NGDOs present in Palestine

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, has held a meeting with the non-governmental development organisations (NGDOs) present in Palestine to address the problems of these organisations on the ground, including the limitation of movement and the impossibility of issuing visas and work permits.

Albares, who was accompanied by the Secretary of State for International Cooperation, Eva Granados, and the Director of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), Antón Leis, received the President and Vice-President of the Coordinating Committee of Development Organisations, Javier Ruiz and Penélope Barlamas, the Director of Humanitarian Action of UNRWA Spain, Lorena Gamito, and representatives of some twenty NGDOs at the AECID headquarters.

The meeting follows those that took place on 11 October 2023, at the minister's own initiative, just four days after the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October, and on 29 May. The security of aid workers and humanitarian workers in Palestine has been a priority for Albares since the beginning of the current crisis.

Through these meetings, the minister intends to maintain a space for dialogue and exchange with Spanish Cooperation actors who continue to operate in Palestine, to listen to their concerns and requests. At the same time, it seeks to reaffirm the commitment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation and the AECID to cooperation with Palestine.

In this regard, Albares thanked the work of the Cooperation actors who carry out their work in very complicated conditions. He acknowledged that NGDOs are indispensable in the humanitarian response at this time, as they will be in the recovery and reconstruction of Gaza.

Commitment to Palestine

The minister also reiterated Spanish Cooperation's commitment to Palestine, while expressing his desire to find a peaceful solution to the conflict ravaging the Middle East, recalling that Palestine is Spanish Cooperation's main beneficiary in the region, having received more than €50 million since the beginning of the conflict.

Throughout 2024, AECID contributed more than €37 million to the region, added to which is a further €13.5 million so far in 2025, focusing especially on humanitarian aid and development projects to promote resilience and mitigate the impact of the current crisis on vulnerable populations.

Cooperation actions are aimed at contributing to the creation of a sovereign, independent, economically sustainable Palestinian state that respects human rights.

Non official translation