Poland to increase spending on humanitarian aid in 2019
Poland plans to spend more than PLN 3 billion (EUR 688.9 mln) on relief assistance in 2019 while in the previous year, the funds dedicated to this purpose totalled PLN 2.8 billion (EUR 643 mln), Poland's minister for humanitarian aid Michał Woś told PAP.
The minister said that the number of people who are in need of humanitarian aid increased from 62 million in 2012 to 132 million in 2019, adding that the Polish government is placing emphasis on the value of on-site assistance.
"With the participation of non-governmental organisations and thanks to funds from the budget reserve, we are running various types of relief work projects," Woś said.
Among the forms of assistance he mentioned were intervention help, help in saving the lives of starving people, supporting refugees in camps, giving medical assistance to help citizens to return to their communities, as well as therapeutic help.
World Humanitarian Day is observed on August 19. It was established by the UN General Assembly in 2008 to draw attention to the needs of people affected by armed conflicts in the world.
