The EU will pledge more than €31 million in humanitarian aid for vulnerable populations in Latin America and the Caribbean, the European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides, announced on Monday 19 March from Columbia, where he was on an official visit.
The money, to be taken from the budget of ECHO, the Commission's humanitarian aid and civil protection service, will pay for emergency aid and assistance in preparing the local communities to face natural disasters.
€6.9 million will pay for food aid, reducing the risks of disasters and assisting individuals affected by violence in Central America (Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua) and Mexico. €3 million will support disaster risk reduction activities in South America (Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Peru, amongst others). €5 million has been earmarked for emergency food aid in Haiti and €6.3 million to reduce the risks of disasters in the country. €2 million will support disaster risk reduction and resilience in the Caribbean.
The Commissioner met the Colombian President, Mr Santos, and reiterated the EU's commitment to support the country towards peace. Stylianides also travelled to Quibdó, in the department of Chocó, a region that has been badly hit by the conflict, and the border city of Cúcuta, which has seen a sharp increase in the number of refugees from Venezuela. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)