In a media statement seen by APA on Thursday, the EU said it has adopted its largest initial annual humanitarian budget of € 1.6 billion by 2019 which aims to cover lasting conflicts in the Middle East and Africa; to the increasing impact of climate change on the world, as humanitarian crises are worsening and conflicts threaten aid to those most in need.
“With this new budget, the EU continues to be a major humanitarian donor in the face of crises such as Syria and Yemen. Humanitarian aid cannot solve all the problems, but we must do everything in our power to help the most vulnerable. This is our humanitarian duty,” said Christos Stylianides, European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management.
Stylianides added: “We also have to think about the impact of these many crises on children in the next generation; so a record 10 percent of the new budget, 10 times more than 2015, is devoted to emergency education, so we can give children the tools to build a better future.”
Most of the budget will address the crisis in Syria; refugees in neighbouring countries; and, the situation in Yemen.
In Africa, aid will support people in regions affected by crises in South Sudan, the Central African Republic, Lake Chad basin and the Democratic Republic of Congo suffering from the Ebola outbreak and in regions suffering from food and nutritional crises such as Sahel.
In Latin America, funding will help the most vulnerable populations affected by the crisis in Venezuela and the protracted conflict in Colombia.
The European Union, according to the document, will also continue to provide assistance in Afghanistan and help the Rohingya populations in both Myanmar and Bangladesh. In Europe, the EU’s humanitarian efforts will focus on the people affected by the conflict in Ukraine.
Given the increasing effects of climate change, funding will also help vulnerable communities in disaster-prone countries to better prepare for various climate shocks, such as droughts, floods and cyclones.
EU assistance is implemented through humanitarian partner organizations, including United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations and the Red Cross family, which have signed partnership agreements with the European Commission.