Aga Khan Foundation to donate EUR 1.5 million for reconstruction efforts following devastating storms in Central Portugal

Aga Khan Foundation to donate EUR 1.5 million for reconstruction efforts following devastating storms in Central Portugal

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Lisbon, Portugal, 16 February 2026 -In the wake of devastating storms that have hit Central Portugal in recent weeks, the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), with support from the Ismaili Imamat, will donate EUR 1.5 million to support recovery efforts and to strengthen long-term climate resilience in Central Portugal.

Over the past few weeks Portugal has been hit by a sequence of intense winter storms - starting with Storm Kristin's record winds and flooding in late January, followed by Storm Leonardo's heavy rain that triggered deadly floods and mass evacuations, and most recently Storm Marta bringing fresh torrential downpours and further disruption.

The impacts have included multiple fatalities, widespread flooding, evacuations of thousands, major infrastructure damage (including collapse of part of the main Lisbon-Porto motorway) and a state of calamity declared in many municipalities.

Of the EUR 1.5 million being donated, EUR 1 million will directly support the Portuguese Government, through the Mission Structure for the Recovery of the Central Region and aligns with the Government's strategic priorities to revitalise the social and economic fabric of the affected territories.

In addition, AKF is directing EUR 500,000 towards education to ensure the swift operational recovery of schools and the overall well-being of educational communities. The programme prioritises the re-equipping of schools with essential resources, while also providing direct support to families to help restore adequate living conditions for children's learning. At the same time, the intervention advances a forward-looking environmental agenda through the creation of micro-forests and the restoration of school green spaces using native and climate-resilient species.

AKF will oversee the implementation of the programme in close coordination with relevant stakeholders.

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