Helsinki allocates €350,000 for humanitarian aid to Gaza following council proposal

The city of Helsinki has decided to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza, following a proposal by city council member Mia Haglund from the Left Alliance. “The need for assistance in Gaza is enormous,” Haglund stated. She emphasized that Helsinki identifies itself as an active international actor and has a strategy for global responsibility. Haglund pointed out that other major cities, such as Barcelona in Spain, have also offered humanitarian aid to Gaza. Additionally, Helsinki has been actively supporting Ukraine during the war by sending financial assistance, emergency medical units, and educational supplies.

The city council approved the humanitarian aid package, which totals €350,000, to be delivered through organizations such as the Red Cross, UNICEF, Save the Children, and Doctors Without Borders. The proposal was developed collaboratively with the Left Alliance, Greens, Social Democratic Party (SDP), and the Swedish People’s Party (RKP).

However, the National Coalition Party expressed skepticism about the aid package. The party’s council group leader, Maarit Vierunen, acknowledged that the situation in Gaza is serious and that aid is necessary, but she critiqued the local government’s role in international humanitarian assistance. “The responsibility for international humanitarian aid lies with the Finnish state, as is customary in Finland,” she remarked.

Helsinki allocated a similar amount of aid to Ukraine in 2022. The National Coalition Party believes that aiding Ukraine was justified due to established connections with Ukrainian cities and the broader implications of Russia’s invasion on European security.