Generous Hearts helps Ceuta charity supporting hundreds of migrants

Generous Hearts is supporting a Ceuta charity led by Sabah Hamed, whose home has become a refuge for minors, pregnant women and other vulnerable migrants following the arrival of tens of thousands of people in the Spanish city. 

Ms Hamed, who leads the Asociación de Menores y Barrios, told the Chronicle that she and volunteers were struggling to cope with the scale of the humanitarian crisis.  

“We are at our limit, physically, mentally and financially,” Ms Hamed said. 

“How long is this going to last? We can’t do anymore.” 

Ms Hamed said she and several women helping her began preparing food for around 250 people on July 31, with migrants also helping to organise lunch queues outside her home. 

Ten days later, the number had risen sharply. 

“We delivered 2,000 lunches yesterday, this is impossible.” 

People from Ceuta and Gibraltar have been providing assistance, Ms Hamed said, with donations including food and basic toiletries. 

“People from Ceuta are helping me, as well as our friends in Gibraltar,” she said. 

“People from Belgium, another people from Ceuta have passed by home to ask what we need. They bring bread, butter, legumes, but we need everything. People are having the showers on my terrace, and they need shampoo, deodorant, gel.” 

She said the situation was particularly difficult for vulnerable young women. 

 “This is exhausting. This is a chaos. We have thousands of girls, they are very vulnerable. We need help from the Spanish State, we feel abandoned in Ceuta,” she said tearfully. 

 “We never have lived nothing similar to this. I’m hitting rock bottom, Ceuta hasn’t got back to normal. Two thirds of the city is overloaded, we are overwhelmed.” 

Ms Hamed said residents were also struggling with the impact of the crisis on daily life. 

“A lot of people are helping, because these migrants are hungry, but Ceuti people are crying because they can’t go out to the streets, except for the centre of the town. I don’t know what is going to happen,” she said. 

 She also thanked Generous Hearts for their assistance. 

“This is very unfair. We are working throughout the year to have some days of rest for us and for our kids, and this is what has happened. All the streets smell. This is very sad.” 

 Generous Hearts, led by Daphne McGrail with Rosanna Olivares, has sent money, food, water, flip-flops, underwear and other essentials to support the work in Ceuta. 

“There are 20 pregnant women at Sabah’s place,” Ms McGrail told the Chronicle.  

“They need clothes, they need everything. There are hundreds of youngsters having showers on her terrace, because they have literally nowhere to go and nothing.”  

“We have sent money, bought flip-flops, and lot of things that they are really needing.” 

The relationship between Generous Hearts and Ms Hamed’s association began during the previous migrant crisis in 2021. The two organisations have continued working together to support migrants in Ceuta. 

“We visited the CETI in October 2025,” Ms McGrail said.  

“At that moment, the center was already closed because it was full of its capacity. The kids were hidden in the forest by then.” 

“This is heartbreaking, is so sad what is happening now."  

She said financial donations were currently the most useful form of assistance because the organisation already had access to the other items required. 

About what they need, Ms McGrail said that the best help now is money.  

“We have everything that we can send. We will do it through Apoyo Mutuo in San Roque. And this is not about sending Sabah things that we don’t need anymore. This is about to send what those migrants really need.” 

According to Ceuta authorities, at least 8,000 migrants remained stranded in the streets, with charities and volunteers continuing to provide food, clothing and other essentials. 

The organisations said the immediate priority was helping those affected to eat, find clothing and survive until a decision is taken on their future. 

Generous Hearts has the Charity Registration number 332.  

Account Name: Generous Hearts Charity  

Account Number: 20009995 

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