Brussels, 16/03/2016 (Agence Europe) - As European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides arrived in Ukraine for a two-day visit on 16-18 March, the European Commission announced, on Wednesday 16 March, a new €20 million envelope of emergency humanitarian aid for the vulnerable people hit by the conflict in the east of the country.
“Despite the decrease in breaches of the ceasefire, the impact of the violence on the civilian population remains a humanitarian concern”, Stylianides stated.
The €20 million in funding will be financed by the budget of the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department (ECHO) and will enable the ongoing humanitarian operations to continue that focus on basic needs for clean water, food vouchers, medicines, shelter, and basic household items. The aid will be channelled through ECHO's partner humanitarian organisations on the ground.
Around 3.1 million Ukrainians are in need of humanitarian assistance. This new funding brings the Commission's total humanitarian assistance to over €63 million in emergency aid since the start of 2014. More than half of this assistance (55%) targets people in need in non-government controlled areas. If bilateral aid from the member states is added to this funding, the EU's humanitarian effort in response to this crisis amounts to over €146 million. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)