Brussels, 17/06/2015 (Agence Europe) - During the evening of Monday 16 June, the European Commission announced that the EU is to mobilise over €400 million in aid to bring assistance to the victims of the floods in Georgia, which have devastated the capital Tbilisi. The Commission's aid will be provided through a combination of massive emergency humanitarian aid and budgetary support to the government.
“The European Union stands with the people of Georgia and is ready to help families in Tbilisi rebuild their houses and start a new life”, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn stated in a press release.
The €400 million in emergency humanitarian aid will be financed by the ECHO budget (the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Office) to support the most hard-hit families and “address their immediate needs to help them go through this initial phase of emergency”, says European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides. The aid will enable the supply of basic relief to be financed - food and blankets, access to water, sanitation and medical support. The aid will be channelled through ECHO's partners on the ground - the Red Cross and humanitarian NGOs.
In addition, the Commission will mobilise up to €3 million in budgetary support to the Georgian government. This will be financed by the EU's budget to help the authorities respond to the longer term needs in lasting housing solutions after the initial emergency phase.
Right after this disaster - which has had a heavy toll on human life and caused widespread material damage (infrastructure in Tbilisi has been destroyed and basic services cut off) - the Commission said that it was ready to provide assistance and was looking for the most suitable sources of financing (see EUROPE 11335). This has now been done. (Aminata Niang)