Gaza and the cities of Palestine become Barcelona’s District 11
Tue, 26/08/2025 - 16:05
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- Pintada mural al centre de la UNRWA a Amman. Autora: Laura Guerrero
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- L’alcalde visita el magatzem de la UNRWA a Amman. Autora: Laura Guerrero
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- Magatzem de la UNRWA a Amman. Autora: Laura Guerrero
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- Dispensari mèdic de la UNRWA a Amman. Autora: Laura Guerrero
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- L’alcalde es reuneix amb el seu homòleg d’Amman per enfortir la cooperació entre ambdues ciutats. Autora: Laura Guerrero
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- L’alcalde visita el magatzem de la UNRWA a Amman. Autora: Laura Guerrero
City Council. Humanitarian aid contributions to UNRWA will be doubled.
The District 11 project replicates the model introduced by Mayor Maragall in 1995 to help towards the recovery of Sarajevo. The goal is to boost technical cooperation with the cities of Palestine. During his official visit to Jordan, the Mayor, Jaume Collboni, announced that Gaza and the cities of Palestine will now become Barcelona’s eleventh district, with the city doubling its contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) from the current €200,000 to €400,000.
The District 11 project emulates the model used by Mayor Maragall in 1995 to help towards the recovery of Sarajevo. The goal is to increase cooperation with the cities of Palestine. Thirty years ago, Sarajevo symbolically became the 11th district of the city, enabling the project to be equipped with an administrative infrastructure, resources, its own team and its own councillor.
District 11 starts with an initial budget starting from one million euros. In the case of the cities of Palestine, given the complexity of a now chronic conflict and the uncertainty over the immediate future in the area, municipal teams will now embark on the process of conceptualisation and definition for the project so that it adapts to the municipal needs that arise.
Financial support for UNRWA doubled
The City Council will contribute 400,000 euros to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), to be used for food and medicine for the population in Gaza and for refugees, plus support for sanitary staff in the Gaza Strip.
Barcelona City Council has had a stable line of support for the refugee population in Gaza since 2012. This collaboration started with an initial contribution of 100,000 euros a year, for humanitarian and emergency aid and for training programmes in the sphere of sanitation. In 2024 this contribution was increased to nearly 200,000 euros a year, following a special contribution of 300,000 euros in 2023 given the war in the area.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) currently provides assistance, protection and defence for over five million Palestinian refugees living in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and occupied Palestinian territory (Gaza Strip and the West Bank).