Brussels, 03/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has decided to allocate €3 million in emergency humanitarian aid to the vulnerable people of Haiti living in tents since the earthquake in January 2010, and who are now victims of tropical storm Isaac which struck the country during the night of 24 August.
The funding, taken from the ECHO budget (the humanitarian aid service of the European Commission), is destined to help more than 200,000 families out of the 390,000 displaced persons, the Commission said on 3 September. It will fund the supply of water purification tablets, plastic tarpaulins, temporary shelters and basic sanitation installations. The provision of drinking water and sanitation for the people are the priorities in order to prevent an epidemic of cholera.
With the season of tropical storms having only just begun, this aid will also fund operations to strengthen the degree of preparation of the people for similar catastrophes (awareness campaigns, support for civil protection and the Red Cross, and activation of rapid alert systems).
It was decided than this aid should be given on the basis of an evaluation report on the damage and the needs of the population affected, established by the experts from the Commission in humanitarian aid and civil protection. Kristalina Georgieva, Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, said in a press release that the evaluation by the Commission experts after the storm stated that the situation was very worrying - in particular in rural zones previously affected by the drought. According to initial estimates, several hundred thousand people have been affected in Haiti by the pouring rains and powerful winds caused by Isaac. (AN/transl.fl)