Poverty in Curaçao: Aid organizations attacked by hungry people

WILLEMSTAD - Poverty in Curaçao is so dire that the Red Cross on the island fears robberies while distributing emergency aid. Earlier, the aid organization was already attacked by hungry people.

To ensure the safety of employees, the Red Cross brings food packages in a column of vehicles to various collection points, from where the packages are further distributed across the island.

Poverty on the island has risen enormously since the corona crisis. Thousands of people are without jobs, money, and food. According to aid workers, despair is especially felt in the poorest neighborhoods.

Harassed by hungry people

“In recent weeks, we've heard from several food delivery organizations that they are being attacked by hungry people,” said Charles Sintjacoba, junior youth leader at the Red Cross in Curaçao. Maisy Scharbay, branch manager of the Red Cross in Curaçao, confirms this.

“When we just started assembling the packages, we regularly got hungry people at our gate at the Red Cross asking for food. To protect our volunteers, we drive several cars together to the locations and try to do this as soon as possible, so pack up and get out.”

Vulnerable groups hit hard

Funditut Foundation understands the desperation among the Curaçaoans. The organization helps vulnerable young people with a criminal background, and who have served prison sentences, to participate in society. “Normally the boys work with us, they receive a payment for this, but since COVID-19 the boys have been at home without income,” says Reno Martha, project manager at Funditit.

Food packages are delivered to the foundation for the boys and their families every week. “Without these food packages, the boys would have had no food in the past two months. They would either starve to death or steal their food. That is why we are very grateful that we have received these food packages,” says Martha.

Monitoring and distribution of emergency aid

The Representation of the Netherlands Willemstad (VNW) ensures that the money from the Netherlands ends up in Curaçao. However, it is not known exactly how the money is distributed among the islands, that has not been determined in percentages in advance.

"It is a matter of need," says Erwin Arkenbout, representative of the Netherlands in Curaçao, Aruba and Sint Maarten. “In doing so, we sail on what the Red Cross proposes. It is likely that the distribution will be somewhat in proportion to the size of the islands, but if the problem turns out to be much greater in Aruba, for example, more will go there.”

Emergency aid is currently planned to run until August. If it subsequently appears that more emergency aid is needed, it will be examined whether the Netherlands will extend the term.

By Kim Hendrikse




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