Grants announced for cities to to help migrant and displaced children

Six cities have been selected to receive significant funding and support to help them help migrant children and their families.

Around US$1.2 million is being given through the Global Cities Fund which is a partnership between the Mayors Migration Council, the Bernard van Leer Foundation and Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.

The six cities being given this important support span six countries across three continents, representing nearly 10 million people. Common themes featured in the projects that have been chosen include early childhood health and development, child-friendly urban design and climate action.

They are

• Amman Children’s Climate Academy and Park (Amman, Jordan)
• A Home Away From Harm (Dunaivtsi, Ukraine)
• Ciudadanos Integrados Guayaquil (Guayaquil, Ecuador)
• First Steps in Milan (Milan, Italy)
• Resound (Montevideo, Uruguay)
• Durable Qaddura (Ramallah, Palestine)

Michael Feigelson, Chief Executive Officer of the Bernard van Leer Foundation: “There is no better way to lay the foundation for inclusive and prosperous urban communities than to invest in children’s physical and mental health, well-being, and learning capacity. We join the Mayors Migration Council and mayors worldwide in investing in migrant and displaced children as future innovators and entrepreneurs that will make their cities thrive.”

Each city will be awarded US$200,000, plus technical support over a year to bring their projects to life, supported by other stakeholders including the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40 Cities), Metropolis, UN Migration Agency (IOM), United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

‘Make their cities thrive’

In Ramallah, Palestine, Mayor Issa Kassis will upgrade Qaddura Refugee Camp’s solid waste collection system and rehabilitate its park to improve the quality of life for children living in the camp. To maximise the success of these interventions, the city will also run environmental campaigns that allow children to learn about, and contribute to, ecologically sustainable activities.

Mayor Kassis said: “Thanks to the support of the Global Cities Fund for Migrants and Refugees, the City of Ramallah will improve Qaddura Refugee Camp’s solid waste systems, rehabilitate the poorly developed recreational park, and promote awareness-building campaigns to develop the next generation of environmental stewards. This project will protect the public health of all living in the camp, especially our youngest new residents and future leaders: children.”

Click here for more on the Global Cities Fund for Migrants and Refugees: Children and Caregivers.